Arsenal Vs Manchester United: Alexandre Lacazette’s masterpiece

Arsenal were excellent in Sunday afternoon’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United. And at the heart of it all was Alexandre Lacazette. This was his masterpiece.

In the modern game, strikers are needed to a whole lot more than just stick the ball in the back of net. Like how every position has broadened its demands, — centre-backs must be better on the ball, wingers must be good finishers, goalkeepers have to be the eleventh outfield player in possession — so has the centre-forward position.

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While players like Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole were viewed as some of the best of their era, thrust in the game of today and there would be expectations that they provide more than just their goals, however great their goalscoring records may have been.

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The added element to the centre-forward role is what makes Harry Kane such a brilliant player. Yes, he is a wonderful goalscorer with a terrific record over a number of years, but his hold-up play, his ability to win fouls when under pressure, and his defence-occupying size all comprise one of the most complete number nines in world football. And Arsenal, in Alexandre Lacazette, have their own complete, line-leading striker.

Lacazette does not carry the same stature as a Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski but, like the pair, much of his best work comes with his back to goal. He may be known for his ruthless finishing and consistent goalscoring at every level, but it is quick feet, his skill with the ball, his ability to wriggle free from trawling defenders, his surprising strength and low centre of gravity, that make him such a complete player that Arsenal can unite behind.

Lacazette is built much more in the modern mould. He obviously has the predatory instincts of those great goalscorers of years gone by. He is razor sharp in the penalty area and he knows how to score goals. But it is his overall play that is so invaluable to the team, and in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United, those qualities were on full display.

Lacazette partnered Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a front two. The pair ran Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof ragged. At one point in the second half, Lindelof was so befuddled by Lacazette’s skill and movement that he completely misjudged a simple bounce and nearly let the Frenchman in to score. Indeed, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer felt the need to shift to a back three midway through the first half, such were the difficulties that Lacazette was causing the United centre-halves.

Lacazette may not have scored on Sunday. And, in fact, he was guilty of squandering some decent opportunities. But his influence on every other part of the match was undeniable. That, in the modern game, is the sign of a truly world-class centre-forward, one who can impact and change the match without having to make the net ripple.

In an era obsessed with skills and highlights and postage-stamp strikes, Lacazette, the striker who revels in the dirty work and flourishes in the unseen, is at his most valuable. And against Manchester United, he was everything he needed to be. Even without scoring, this was his masterpiece.