Arsenal: So where does Alexandre Lacazette fit now?

Alexandre Lacazette is set to return to Arsenal after six weeks out during the international break. But his return begs a question: Where does the Frenchman now fit?

Alexandre Lacazette was enduring a tough time before it was announced that he would undergo a minor surgical procedure on his knee. The goals, while never abundantly flowing, had dried up and the confidence had clearly seeped away, his head drooping, shoulders slumping and exasperation rising.

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The injury, many believed, came at the right time. A break from the team. A time to rest. A time to reset. A time to build towards the closing stages of the season in which he would be battling to establish a role for himself in a squad that had suddenly become quite competitive, even with the January departure of Olivier Giroud.

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But, as Arsene Wenger revealed before Thursday night’s win over AC Milan, Lacazette is now back in training and will be available for selection from after the international break, the first game being Stoke City’s trip to the Emirates on April 1st. The question, then, of where he fits after this period to restart, has never been more pertinent, because Lacazette returns to a very different Arsenal striking landscape than the one he left.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is now the entrenched starter. That much is clear. Although that was perhaps known before Lacazette underwent surgery, it is even more established now. What is even more clear, though, is the midfield that Wenger would like to field, one that only allows room for a lone centre-forward.

In the two legs against AC Milan, Wenger played Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere in central midfield, shifting Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil to the wings, leaving Granit Xhaka as the lone holding player. It was a much better shape that provided a far more stable and secure balance to the team. But it means that there is only one striker position available. Clearly, that will go to Aubameyang when he is available.

In the Europa League, however, Wenger will not be able to call on the Gabonian’s services. He is cup-tied because of Borussia Dortmund’s involvement. In Lacazette’s departure, that has left only Danny Welbeck to lead the line. He has done so admirably.

In the first leg, it was his tireless running, his channel-stretching movement, his annoying presence and focal-point provision that allowed Arsenal to counter with such ruthlessness, precision, speed and success; in the second leg, he got his reward for another industrious display, scoring twice, including a crucial equaliser from the spot kick.

So where does Lacazette fit? He certainly won’t be taking Aubameyang’s position away from him, and while it is assumed that he will slot in ahead of Welbeck, he is a very different player, lacking the same physical traits to occupy defenders like the England international. Would his more finessed style suit a potentially isolated role if Wenger again looks to implement a counter-attacking strategy? It is a fair question to ask.

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Ultimately, only Wenger knows in what form Lacazette will feature. There may even be the opportunity for a formation change, though that seems unlikely. But what’s clear to see is that Lacazette’s role is extremely unclear. Where he fits, for now, I do not know.