Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette every bit Aubameyang’s equal

Arsenal have a true golden boot contender in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but Alexandre Lacazette is every bit his equal and the stats agree.

Arsenal fans have waited a long time for a world class striker to come to town and compete for the golden boot again. We may make fun of Spurs for thinking that Kane’s golden boot isn’t a a real trophy (it isn’t) but I do miss having someone that puts up numbers like that.

And we finally do in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He fell off the top spot when he was unable to put one past Chelsea, but he’s still right in the running and he will be back in the mix again soon.

The goals get the glory, usually, and, that being the case, so much of the glory goes to Aubameyang. So many of the minutes do too. Aubameyang is always the man making it the full 90, leaving Alexandre Lacazette not just behind in minutes, but behind in the goal tally as well.

And international reputations don’t lie – Aubameyang carries that category as well. He is far more renowned than Lacazette. But if there budding bromance didn’t already give it away, you can bank on that these two are absolutely equals, despite the fact that Lacazette has six less goals and 500 less minutes.

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Those stats don’t do Lacazette the credit he deserves. We can always talk about the intangibles, the fact that Lacazette is a better all around player, that his touch is far superior, that he links up play better, but statistically, you’ll find that the gap between Aubameyang and Lacazette is far from defined.

In fact, talking about goal production, Lacazette and Aubameyang are dead equals.

Aubameyang has 16 goals and three assists between the Premier League and the Europa League in 2032 minutes. That equates to a goal or assist every 106 minutes. That’s one hell of a clip, and one that makes him well worth whatever inadequacies he has.

Lacazette has nine goals and six assists in the same competitions across 1541 minutes. Which equates to a goal contribution every 102 minutes.

In that regard, even when it comes to the glory of creating and scoring, Lacazette is better. The only thing he doesn’t have is the ability to rely on 90 minutes every single matchday.

Not that this means anything. It means that we have two amazing strikers, each of whom can be counted on to create a goal nearly every 100 minutes. Can’t get much better than that.