Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette makes hearts race

Alexandre Lacazette showed a number of promising signs in Arsenal’s Community Shield win over Chelsea. Pairing him with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez makes my heart race.

As the dust settles from Arsenal’s penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in the Community on Sunday, it is becoming clearer and clearer in my mind that, if all goes to plan, this could be one of the most exciting Gunners teams in years.

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The key difference between this team and last year’s team is the club-record addition of Alexandre Lacazette. Signed for £52 million, assuming certain clauses are satisfied, the former Lyon striker fills the void left by Robin van Persie at the Emirates as a clinical, prolific striker who guarantees 20 plus goals a season.

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Olivier Giroud, for all his virtues and his strengths, was never the clinical, ruthless centre-forward that a creative Arsenal midfield cried out for. Lacazette, though, is, and he showed, in glimpses, elements of that sharpness against Chelsea on Sunday.

Playing as the central striker, Lacazette was willing to roam throughout the pitch to find space. He would run the channels, spinning in behind. He would drop deep and receive the ball to feet. He would drift wide and try his luck against the wider of the trio of centre-halves. But no matter what position he found himself in, what was clearly noticeable was his movement was always geared to scoring goals. He made several darts into the penalty area when Alex Iwobi wiggled his way to the byline; he dropped back off the Chelsea defence to receive the ball from Danny Welbeck before striking the post with a curled effort; and whenever he played the ball wide, his first move was to sprint forwards, into the box.

Unfortunately for Arsenal and Lacazette, the quality in the final third was a little lacking, meaning that clear-cut chances were difficult to engineer. However, the signs were there, signs that would flourish alongside Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Neither of the Gunners’ attacking starlets featured against Chelsea, with Wenger, presumably, fully aware that Leicester City and the start of the new season is just five days away. Nevertheless, as I learn more and more about Lacazette’s game and how it might translate to the Premier League, I simply get increasingly excited at watching him alongside Sanchez and Ozil.

The quick, fizzing interplay, the driving, direct runs, the through balls, the rocket finishes, the shimmied, swerving, slalom dribbles. The combination of play of all three, such is their quality, their shared intelligence and their creativity, will be truly mouthwatering.

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My heart is racing already and the season hasn’t even started. Football is back, baby!