Arsenal Vs Chelsea: Alexandre Lacazette Vs Alvaro Morata

Arsenal face Chelsea on Sunday as the Premier League returns. Rightly or wrongly, the focus will be on the battle of the strikers: Alexandre Lacazette vs Alvaro Morata.

Although two wins from four games is hardly a positive start to a league campaign that should, per the club itself, consist of a title challenge, as Arsenal prepare to travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the thought of the repercussions of a win suddenly flip what has been a despairing start into one that at least offers a semblance of hope for the season ahead.

There has been much publicised about the upcoming tie – Arsenal’s deficiencies away from home against the better sides; the increasing pressure on Arsene Wenger with compounding loss after compounding loss; the return of Eden Hazard; the deceptive form of Chelsea who have slipped under the radar after an opening day loss and frustrating transfer window. But, perhaps, rightly or wrongly, the most prominent narrative to Sunday’s game will be the battle of two strikers trying to vindicate their reputation.

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Both Alvaro Morata and Alexandre Lacazette are their respective club’s record signings. Both Alvaro Morata and Alexandre Lacazette enter the Premier League for the first time in their career. Both Alvaro Morata and Alexandre Lacazette come to these shores with a standing and status of some of Europe’s sharpest shooters. Both Alvaro Morata and Alexandre Lacazette have been signed to, primarily, score goals. And thus far, they have.

Morata has scored three goals and assisted a further two, funnily enough, all with his head. Lacazette, meanwhile, has scored twice: a lovely glanced header to open the season against Leicester City and a precise, curled finish past Asmir Begovic this past weekend.

And now they face off with one another on Sunday. The determination of the fixture, as is often the case, will not depend on these two players alone; football is a team game and a striker requires service. But they will be compared nevertheless and it could a moment of ruthless striking from either player that is their side’s route to victory.

It is these games that both Morata and Lacazette have bought for. While there is value in a flat-track bully, a player who can score consistently against the lesser sides, where possession is dominated and chances are aplenty, ultimately, it is the top-of-the-table clashes that the top players must impact.

It is the big games, especially away from home, that Arsenal have been painfully absent in. 4-0 to Liverpool; 6-0 to Chelsea; 8-2 to Manchester United; 5-1 to Liverpool. All these have come in recent years and do not look like stopping anytime soon. That is a problem.

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Lacazette and Morata will be compared and contrasted throughout their careers. That is the nature of the modern footballing world. And the start of that commences on Sunday. It will be extremely interesting to see which, if any, plays the key part in winning, or losing, the game.