Arsenal: ‘Next level’ Alexandre Lacazette may be easy to unlock

Arsenal have a wealth of attacking options. So many that Alexandre Lacazette fell a bit. But finding the best of him might be pretty easy.

Few players in the world of football could match the roller coaster year that Alexandre Lacazette had at Arsenal. He was on top of the world, unfairly ousted, replaced, injured, and returned better than ever.

Needless to say, there is room for improvement. He is getting up to speed in the English game, but he hasn’t mastered it yet.

The key to helping him master it, though, may be pretty easy.

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The problem with Lacazette last year was he depended on service a bit much. With his smaller size and the frustrating need to be perfect from the Gunners’ attack, he was often left with nothing to do, other than collect the odd ball and try to conquer the world with it.

Any time someone gets starved for success, they are going to get a bit antsy on the ball, and even Lacazette had that problem.

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Which is what lead me to deduce what I believe to be the key to springing the best possible Lacazette – more touches. A lot more touches.

As a solo striker, that isn’t going to happen. At least not to great affect. He would have to drop back, abandon the box, or drift out wide. None of that sounds all that attractive, because we’ve seen it all before.

Sticking with the theme I explored yesterday, this theme of obeying what Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is suggesting, this holds the key.

Lacazette needs more touches because he is so good on the ball. But in order to shake that feeling of needing to conquer the world every time he touches the ball, he needs to find more touches. So drop him deeper in the formation without abandoning the box.

If Aubameyang plays up front and Lacazette can sit in behind him, he will have so much more space to field the ball and, given his ability to pass or shoot from distance, the benefits will be as clear as day.

It’s not rocket science to find more touches for your best players. Lacazette is one of the best players on this team. He makes runs off the ball too, and that can still happen. He will be able to make late runs, as Aubameyang can be the primary target.

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The perks keep piling up. Get him the ball more. This is how you do that.