Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette Is Not Another Giroud

Arsenal supporters are not unified in their voice of who they want for striker. I’m here to tell you, in the most convincing way possible, that Alexandre Lacazette is worth our unity.

Until I read Jabari’s piece about Alexandre Lacazette vs Gabigol, I must admit that I was not in the slightest bit aware that there were some Arsenal supporters out there that were opposed to the idea of Lacazette coming to Arsenal. They were calling him the “French Walcott”.

That literally blew my mind. Everything I have ever seen Lacazette do screams “Arsenal needs this”. The speed, the power, the finishing… it’s all there. But that was the point of his comparison piece. This one has a different purpose.

I wonder if some of the reluctance to Lacazette comes from the fact that the last time Arsenal signed a Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner, it was Olivier Giroud.

I love Giroud and what he brings to Arsenal. But I accept that many of you don’t. Goals are a big part of being a striker and Giroud does not score them with much consistency. But that does not mean that Lacazette is ticketed to be a repeat of the same thing. He won’t be that conclusive evidence that Wenger’s French bias is overwhelmingly detrimental to the side (Yaya Sanogo?).

One of the main reasons why I feel like Giroud gets a bad rap is because he isn’t flashy or particularly talented in possession. He is predicated on strength, holding the ball, and getting rid of it. That doesn’t dazzle anybody.

Lacazette does. He is a wizard in possession. The man knows how to dribble.

Giroud is slow. Very slow. In a high-octane attack, having Giroud is like having a wall to bounce balls off of. But that wall is not going to keep pace with the attack.

Lacazette will keep pace with the attack. He has pace for days. But he can also maintain the ball, as he rarely gets caught in possession.

Giroud is at his best in the box. He takes up space, makes room, and uses aerial dominance to score goals. But get him outside of the box and his use is limitered.

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Not Lacazette. Lacazette knows how to create for himself. He knows how to score from distance and he most certainly knows what to do with the ball, no matter where he is on the pitch.

The premonitions are there. They’re everywhere. French, 25, Golden Boot, not PSG – Giroud and Lacazette share a lot. But in an era where the physical striker is becoming less and less useful and less and less reliable (at scoring goals, not in overall usefulness), rest assured that Alexandre Lacazette is that break from Wenger’s usual striker. He is that step in the right direction.

Next: Don't Get Excited About Lukaku

You want Arsenal to unleash the long balls of Xhaka and Ozil to more than just Alexis? Look no further than Alexandre Lacazette. This man is worth his weight in gold (or whatever people are bought with these days) and Arsene Wenger has to realize that. But so do all you naysayers out there.

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