Arsenal: Mid-Season player rankings

3. Alexandre Lacazette

There is a great pressure on new signings. The anticipation of fans; the expectation of their new manager, who has, likely, staked his reputation on their success; the hopes of their teammates. There are many external reasons as to why a new signing should not prosper, nevermind the challenges that entail on the pitch.

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But for Alexandre Lacazette, a player who had added pressure because of his breaking the club transfer record to replace a player that he sits behind when internationals roll around, that weight of expectation has not seemed all that heavy. In fact, his shoulders have looked rather light.

As a goalscorer, Lacazette will be, naturally, judged on the number of goals that he scores. Six goals in 11 games. So far, so good. And that is the type of player that he was advertised as. He has lived up to his billing.

He has, though, provided another, less spoken of, element, an added nuance that wasn’t necessarily anticipated: His hold-up play. For a player of his slight size and stature, Lacazette has a wonderful ability to exploit the movement of his body to protect the ball. His touch is good, his understanding of how and when defenders may try to nick away possession is accurate, and his overall link-up play is outstanding, only blossoming as he continues to bed in. Lacazette was sold as a goalscorer. But he is far more than that It has been an excellent start to life at the Emirates.

(Andy: 4th; Josh: 4th)