Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette absence may benefit Mesut Ozil

Arsenal will be without Alexandre Lacazette against Manchester United, but this might actually benefit Mesut Ozil. IF Olivier Giroud is deployed in his stead.

There is a lot of talk about this front three that Arsenal has and for just cause. When together,m that front three has combined for seven goals and seven assists in four appearances, as compared to the nine games they haven’t played together, where they have combined for six goals and one assist.

There is a clear degree of fluidity between the three. So to take one out, it would make sense if people are a bit leery of what may happen, particularly to Mesut Ozil who looks like he is floating about on the pitch without his feet even touching the round. He’s been magical.

In the interest of that magic, I believe that it may even be beefed up a bit – as in Ozil may be even better – if Alexandre Lacazette is replaced by Olivier Giroud and only Olivier Giroud.

This flies in the face of the old belief that Giroud was the one thing holding Ozil back, but I disproved that crap sentiment before and I’ll disprove that crap sentiment again.

In the sensational 2015/16 season, when Mesut Ozil chalked up 19 assists, nine of those assists went to the big man. Across set pieces and open play, they flowed through the bearded Frenchman. A further four were influenced by him. For example, on a set piece if Giroud pulled a man out of the play and another Arsenal man slipped into that void and scored.

That’s 13 of his 19 assists being dependent on the presence of Olivier Giroud. I go more into these stats in my article from 2016 (see here).

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Looking back at last season, Ozil registered 12 assists. A noticeable drop-off that paralleled the drop off in Giroud’s time on the pitch. And it was a major drop-off.

Still, of the 12 assists that Ozil registered, two were directly to the big man, one off a set-piece and one from a cross in open play. Another pass found Giroud an assist and two more assists came on set-pieces where Giroud’s presence in the box freed up Shkodran Mustafi for a goal.

Giroud makes Ozil better. That is clear. They have a solid rapport together that Lacazette and Ozil don’t quite have yet.

For instance, this season, Ozil has only assisted Lacazette one time. He has also assisted Giroud, who has been starved of appearances, one time. Add to that the fact that Ozil’s assist to Alexis against Huddersfield was intended for and heavily influenced by Giroud.

That’s not to say that Lacazette and Ozil won’t develop a rapport. They absolutely will, depending on how long the German stays. This is just a matter of recognizing that what is under construction is not as sturdy as what has already been built.

Next: 5 Things Learned Against Huddersfield Town

If anyone is going to fill that void and keep Ozil in top form, it has to be Olivier Giroud.

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