Sassuolo attacker Armand Lauriente sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 22 to speak about his current form, what he would like to work on, and his skill set.
Sassuolo’s In-Form Attacker
Until two weeks ago, Sassuolo were in crisis: taking only two points from eight games. They looked toothless and were sinking fast. Then, the Neroverdi shocked the champions… Six days later, they defeated Atalanta. If Alessio Dionisi’s job is no longer on the line, he owes much to an arrow on the left wing with a trademark scoring style.
“I don’t have a favourite position to score from but I often find myself in the same spot. I’m a right-footer playing on the left so I often shift onto my right to shoot. It’s a position I often find myself in.”
What Lauriente Would Like to Improve
Besides his eye for goal, in his first season in Italy, Lauriente has shown flair, pace, vision and skill… Does this new Sassuolo forward have any flaws?
“What would I like to improve? I want to be even more incisive, to take my game to the next level. I want to be as effective as I can in every match, whether that’s setting up goals or scoring myself. You have to keep improving. Occasionally I forget about my defensive duties. I could do better defensively. Those are the areas I’d improve.”
One of Serie A’s Top Creators
Raised not far from Paris and a student at the famous Clairefontaine academy, like Kylian Mbappe, Laurienté enchants the aesthetes and impresses the analysts: in addition to 4 goals and 3 assists, he’s among the top three players in Serie A for chances created, shots on goal and dribbling!
“I’ve always been good at it. I think in my position it’s important to be able to go past an opponent at the right time. I just try to look at how my opponent is positioned. I’m lucky in that I’m quite fast so I don’t need that many tricks to be able to beat my man. I like Dionisi’s methods. With his tactics, I am able to get into positions where I can take people on and make an impact. I can’t have any complaints regarding the tactics. I really like what we’re doing. We try to get on the ball, without overdoing it. We want to be as effective as we can, getting towards the opponents’ goal.”