Arsenal: Mikel Arteta affirming what we all know about Alexandre Lacazette

Alexandre Lacazette did not score against Chelsea, making it a run of seven games and over a month of play in which he has not found the back of the net. But he provides so much more than goals that his value is still sky-high.

Yet again, Alexandre Lacazette did not score in a game in which Arsenal could have used a goal. Yet again, fans and pundits jumped all over him, saying he should be sold or dropped from the squad. And yet again, they all miss the mark.

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The Frenchman does not deserve all the flack he gets. The Gunners’ attack would be crippled without him. And I am not the only one who sees the positive side of Lacazette’s impact on matches. Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is also highly impressed with the performances of his leading man.

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In fact, in his post-match press conference, the Spaniard waxed lyrical about the 28-year-old after the 2-2 draw against Chelsea:

"“Amazing. Amazing. That’s right. He sacrificed a lot for the team. Sometimes he may lack a little bit of energy at the end because he’s doing extra work, but I’m so happy with him.”"

The primary weakness of Lacazette’s play under Arteta has been his fitness. Fine. Fitness can improve. But his play within the team is excellent. He leads the press diligently, snaps at the heels of the opposition both while pressing high, and drops into midfield to win back possession over and over again — I can recall a few moments when he made key tackles on Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic just as Chelsea were establishing possession.

But more than that, he is key to Arsenal’s possession play. How many times did Shkodran Mustafi or David Luiz spray a long ball into the Frenchman’s feet to break the Chelsea press? The second goal was possible because Lacazette, having already played a series of key passes, drew Jorginho too deep, and the Italian could not close down Hector Bellerin in time. on the edge of the penalty area.

His movement was clever, his energy was contagious, and his creative work was second to none. He basically did everything we needed from Mesut Ozil, who was invisible by comparison, and he even did very well to score in the second half, although from an offside position.

His hard work is invaluable, especially when with a man disadvantage he manned the forward line on his own, often tasked with solely leading the press and ensuring that Chelsea did not have easy passes forward against a deep-lying Arsenal defensive line. And if he continues to work as hard as he has been, and perform at the level he has been, the goals will come.

Does Lacazette need to start scoring? Yes. But in the meantime, he will continue doing what he does best: giving his all for the team, every minute of every game. And that type of commitment cannot be understated.