Arsenal legend Ian Wright has disclosed that former Gunners striker Alexandre Lacazette sent him an irate message after Wright ridiculed his infamous scream during a Premier League clash with Burnley in 2021. Wright, a revered figure at the club, has not shied away from disagreements with certain players, and this incident provided fresh insights into a past altercation.
The Incident at Turf Moor
In March 2021, Arsenal travelled to Turf Moor for a Premier League fixture. The match was deadlocked at 1-1 in the second half when Burnley defender Erik Pieters lunged at Lacazette's ankle. With the stadium virtually empty due to COVID-19 restrictions, the striker's prolonged, piercing scream echoed throughout the venue. Pieters received a yellow card, and despite the dramatic outcry, Lacazette required no medical attention.
Wright's Reaction and Fallout
Wright and his Match of the Day colleagues, including Gary Lineker and Dion Dublin, made light of the Frenchman's reaction on the BBC programme. This did not sit well with Lacazette. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Wright recounted: "Remember Lacazette was at our place? He screamed. You could hear it and I kind of made a joke about it. He sent me a message in my DMs. It was about taking the mickey out of him screaming. I tried to be nice and it just got worse and worse. The screaming was something that I found funny. I never screamed. I wasn't afraid of anyone."
David O'Leary's Perspective
Former Arsenal defender David O'Leary, who joined Wright on the show, commented: "The thing that drives me mad about the modern game is the way that players roll around. It's just unbelievable. I think we were up at Leeds United vs Arsenal during COVID. We'd look around, there were about 10 people in the stadium. The thing that shocked me at that time was how players rolled around screaming."
The Sketch and Apology
Wright, alongside Lineker and Dublin, took part in a sketch poking fun at Lacazette's scream, featuring a 'scream-o-meter' following Burnley manager Sean Dyche's post-match remarks. This likely provoked Lacazette's displeasure. Wright subsequently issued an apology on his Wrighty's House podcast five years ago, stating: "The main thing here is that I got that wrong. It's only the screaming at the end. The fact is that screaming has always been a problem for me with the guys. Now we can hear it and we're talking about massive screams. To the point where you're thinking, 'Oh my God, something's wrong with this player!' This week it just happened to be Lacazette and, like I say, I got that wrong. What I did, when you see all the s*** that comes back... and in hindsight, of course the s*** is going to come back, especially with the fact it was an Arsenal player and it's me."
