Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette has chance to begin rival status

Arsenal host Spurs and Harry Kane on Saturday with Alexandre Lacazette, hopefully, set to start up front. The Frenchman has a chance to begin his rival status with Kane as one of the top Premier League strikers.

The repeated dropping of Alexandre Lacazette for the big games is utterly maddening. Arsene Wenger, after breaking the club transfer record to secure his services, proceeds to dump him on the bench, as if not to even recognise the uniquely clinical threat that he provides. Arsenal need him, even if Wenger cannot see as much.

Related Story: Arsenal Vs Spurs: Combined starting XI

The latest occurrence, a trip to Manchester City prior to the international break, was proven foolish when Lacazette came off the bench to offer a brief lifeline with a neat finish through the body Ederson, his only real chance of the match.

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And in the lead-up to Saturday’s North London derby, the next in a series of big games for the Gunners, one of the more prominent questions that Wenger is being asked is about whether Lacazette will start or not. In his pre-match press conference, this is what he had to say:

"“I have a big choice to make every time, big decisions to make up front. But he’s played many games, Alexandre Lacazette. He didn’t play away from home at City, I think that’s the only game he didn’t start [along with Liverpool]. I trust him completely. The decision [to start Lacazette] is not made yet, but it’s a possibility because he’s available.”"

The starting, or not starting, of Lacazette, is an even more pertinent issue for this fixture because of the man opposite.

Harry Kane is one of the greatest strikers in world football. In 14 domestic appearances in the Premier League and Champions League, Kane has scored 13 goals, including five in four in Europe. More than that, however, of the top 10 goalscorers in the Premier League, Kane has the highest proportion of his team’s goals, at 40%. He takes 5.9 shots per game, something that Mauricio Pochettino has clearly asked him to do, and has now scored 29 goals, from 27 games, in 2017. That is better than Burnley, West Brom, and Crystal Palace, and is bettered by only four players in Europe: Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski, Bas Dost, and, of course, Lionel Messi.

That is the type of prolificacy that Arsenal are wanting from Lacazette. For context, Lacazette has scored 21 goals in 27 games in 2017. He still has some way to go to match the goal record of Kane. But on Saturday, if he starts, he has the chance to begin a rivalry with one of the best strikers in the world.

Next: Arsenal Vs Spurs: Predicted starting XI

Kane is Spurs’ talisman. He is their leader, their inspiration, their attacking driving force. In the very same way, that is what Lacazette should be to Arsenal. He can begin that process with a goal in his first North London derby this weekend.