'I'll try to show Emery my talent' – Lucas determined to prove himself after PSG benching

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The winger was not in the Arsenal manager’s plans at his former club, and now he’s looking to prove a point

Tottenham winger Lucas Moura was left out in the cold during Unai Emery’s Paris Saint-Germain tenure, and now the Tottenham star wants to prove himself to his former manager in the upcoming North London derby.

Lucas won four Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and four League Cups with PSG, but was a victim of the arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe during Emery’s time managing the club.

Playing time soon evaporated, prompting a move away from Paris and into the Tottenham squad last January.

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Since then, the Brazilian has impressed under Mauricio Pochettino, and he’s eager to show even more when facing the Emery-led Arsenal in this weekend’s derby match. 

“I believe in my talent,” Moura said. “In my quality. I try to show it to him – at Spurs.

“I forget the last five or six months I had at PSG. I like to think about the four years when I was very happy there and won a lot of trophies. The last year was to learn and to grow up. Now I think I’m more experienced and stronger.”

The winger appeared just five times for PSG in 2017-18, totalling just 72 minutes before leaving the club in January.

Asked whether Emery had ever explained why he was not being played, Moura said: “No.

“I need to respect the decision of the coach. I know that it’s difficult for him because he needs to choose 11 players to play. I don’t like to look behind. I like to look forward to what I can do, what I can win.

“I have nothing against Unai, I respect him, he is a very good coach.”

Spurs currently sit third in the Premier League, trailing just Manchester City and Liverpool, while the club controls its own Champions League destiny heading into the final group stage match against Barcelona.

Lucas has scored four goals in 12 Premier League appearances to go with one goal in five Champions League matches.

“I am in a big club and I play with big players,” he said. “I am so happy here.

“I really believe in this club. I really believe that we can win the Premier League, we can win trophies this season.

“I am here to help and to make history. We need to work and to believe always.”