Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette wasn’t, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be

When Arsenal signed Alexandre Lacazette, many erroneously compared him to Thierry Henry. But while he isn’t the next Henry, perhaps Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be.

When Alexandre Lacazette was nearing his Arsenal move in the summer, given that he was a club-record addition at the striker position, it was natural that people would make comparisons with Thierry Henry, the best striker, and arguably the best player, that this club has ever had.

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But while the two are both prolific goalscorers, proven over an extended period of time to make the net ripple with relentless regularity, they are very different players.

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Henry was a surging, rangy, pacy centre-forward who would drift from position to position, pulling the defence out of their shape before bursting straight through their splintered structure; Lacazette is far more subtle. His movement is a little sharper and shorter. He does not have the same long speed as Henry, but he excels in and around the penalty area, coming to life whenever the ball is near the goal, his nose sniffing for any glimmer of an opportunity.

Lacazette is not the Henry replacement. He is, in fact, in his style, at least, much more akin to Henry’s predecessor, Ian Wright. Arsene Wenger had not found the replica to the pinnacle of his great Invincibles team, not that he was necessarily looking in the first place. However, while Lacazette may not have been the player to emulate Henry, at least in approach, perhaps Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be.

This is an extract from a brilliant piece by Ronan Murphy where he discusses the similarities in career development between Henry and Aubameyang, suggesting that the current Borussia Dortmund striker, while later in his career, could take on a similar trajectory as Arsenal’s record goalscorer:

"“Having proven himself as one of the world’s best goalscorers in the Bundesliga, Aubameyang has everything to succeed in the Premier League with Arsenal. Wenger has been looking for an heir to Henry since the Frenchman left the club over a decade ago, and now has finally found the complete forward he needed.”"

And the similarities are certainly there to be found: they are both centre-forwards having been adapted from traditional wingers; they have developed and fine-tuned the more subtle aspects of striker play like holding up play, providing a focal point for the attack, anticipating chances in and around the penalty area; they both boast blistering pace, especially over extended distances; they are both ruthless finishers having worked on it throughout their younger years.

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It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will actually sign Aubameyang, and where he will fit into the team when he is signed. But the signs are positive. If so, the premature, erroneous comparisons being made between Henry and Lacazette in the summer may now be fulfilled, just six months.