IT is not exactly a secret that Arsenal are reliant on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for goals. The Gabonese has scored an astonishing 48% of the Gunners Premier League goals this season. To say his upcoming suspension creates an issue for Mikel Arteta is an exercise in understatement. Alex Lacazette is enduring a funk in front of goal and only has five Premier League goals in this campaign.
Nicolas Pepe’s acclimatisation has been gradual and he has three league strikes to his name. Sokratis Papastathopoulos and David Luiz have two goals a piece and Calum Chambers, Gabriel Martinelli, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira all have a goal each. Lacazette at least has the excuse that he spent six weeks out injured at the start of the season and his role recently has been more as a pivot for Aubameyang’s unrivalled movement.
The goal against Crystal Palace on Saturday was a perfect illustration of this. Lacazette moved away from the front line, took an Eagles defender with him and then stabbed the ball through to the onrushing Aubameyang to score. Lacazette has played the role of Aubameyang’s foil well enough in recent weeks, but with Aubameyang suspended, the Frenchman is going to have to rid himself of his lethargy in front of goal.
Özil ➡️ Lacazette ➡️ Aubameyang ➡️ GOAL!
Arsenal take an early lead at Palace after some beautiful link-up play
His 16th goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/YEcQhB5iYi
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 11, 2020
The same is true of Pepe, who was the width of a post away from snatching the three points at Selhurst Park. I sense that Pepe is going to be the sort of player to drift in and out of games and occasionally frustrate but will also produce regular end-product if played regularly. Aubameyang’s absence would be an excellent time for the Ivorian to hit his straps.
The club’s summer transfer business, such a source of excitement at the beginning of the season, has thus far weakened the team’s output. Kieran Tierney has been injured, Nicolas Pepe, Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka have yet to match the end-product of Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while Dani Ceballos has mimicked Aaron Ramsey’s hamstring quite successfully, but that’s about it. Only Martinelli has been a success so far, but he remains a sparingly used prospect.
What really sticks out in Arsenal’s top scorers list is the lack of midfield goals. Lucas Torreira’s late consolation at Anfield in August is the solitary goal the Gunners midfield has produced this season. Özil and Ceballos have spent time out of the team and Joe Willock is still honing his potential, but those three players have summoned up a total of three assists and zero goals in the Premier League in 2019-20.
Özil has earned commendation for his improved performances under Arteta; particularly for his willingness to embrace Arteta’s demand for intensity off the ball. However, he has still lacked end product with only one Premier League assist. In fact, the goal Arsenal carved out at Selhurst Park on Saturday was eye-catching because it has been so rare for Özil, Lacazette and Aubameyang to combine in this way.
Arsenal should appeal Aubameyang’s red card with video evidence of other, similar tackles that have gone unpunished. It was a bad challenge (worse in slow motion) however it shouldn’t be one rule for some and another rule for others.
— AFCAMDEN (@AFCAMDEN) January 13, 2020
Özil and Lacazette have quite a good relationship, because Lacazette likes to take the ball with his back to goal and bump passes off to players in that number 10 space. At the age of 31, it seems as though Mesut’s athleticism does not allow him to meet Arteta’s demands for off-ball intensity and to also arrive into goalscoring positions.
Maybe the absence of Auba will allow Lacazette and Özil to rekindle their previously fruitful relationship closer to goal. Arsenal’s attack still lacks a dominant ball carrying type [in short, they haven’t quite managed to replace Alexis Sanchez’s qualities] to move the ball into dangerous areas and allow Özil and Lacazette to make off-ball runs. At the moment, they both drift away from the goal.
Dani Ceballos has always been more of a final third entry player than an end-product type. Reiss Nelson is tactically disciplined but has yet to develop a regular nose for a chance. Gabriel Martinelli is probably the smart choice to join the front three in Aubameyang’s absence, he is capable of carrying the ball and he has shown that he has an eye for goal in the Europa League and Carabao Cup.
The Brazilian also ought to be able to meet Arteta’s physical demands to press and harry opponents off the ball. He is still only 18 though and it is a lot to expect him to replace the contribution of Aubameyang. The truth is, Pepe, Özil and Lacazette will shoulder most of the responsibility to replace Aubameyang’s output and if Willock, Nelson, Saka or Martinelli can window dress that contribution, that ought to be considered a welcome bonus.
