Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah could learn a great deal from Alexandre Lacazette

Eddie Nketiah again started ahead of Alexandre Lacazette in Arsenal’s win over West Ham United. However, the young striker could learn a great deal from the man he displaced in the starting XI.

Strikers are in the team to score goals. That is their primary purpose, and the ones who are very good at it are extremely rare and expensive. Scoring goals, after all, is the hardest thing to do on a football pitch. But in the increasingly rounded and complete modern game, like with every other position, more is being demanded of centre-forwards than just sticking the ball in the back of the net.

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That is still a primary element of the position, of course. And any striker that does not know to score at least semi-prolifically is not a valuable piece of the team. But there is a growing need for the centre-forward to master other aspects of the game.

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At Arsenal, Mikel Arteta currently has two strikers to choose between as his lone starter: the young upstart who has routinely illustrated a rare knack for knowing where the goal is, and the veteran presence whose form has deteriorated but class is still evident.

In Saturday’s 1-0 victory over West Ham United, the young upstart, Eddie Nketiah, made his third successive Premier League start. And yet, it was the savvy veteran, Alexandre Lacazette, who snatched the only goal of the game from the off the bench. After the match, Arteta discussed his centre-forward options with both ready and available:

"“Well, I have two strikers at the moment and they are making life difficult for me, but at the same time it is very good. They are both scoring, both in a good moment. I decided to play Eddie today for the defenders they had and the gameplan we had, but knowing that Laca, if we needed a goal in the final moments, he was always ready to do that. I saw straight away, when I was talking to him and giving him instructions on the touchline, he was alert and focused and I could see he was really determined to go out there and score the goal that he did.”"

Nketiah has impressed mightily since returning from his unfortunate loan spell with Leeds United in January. Arteta has repeatedly praised his attitude in training, and his three goals in 431 minutes of action illustrate that natural goalscoring knack that every good young centre-forward possesses. But as his performance against West Ham showed, there is still lots he can learn from Lacazette, especially when it comes to the dirtier side of the centre-forward position.

Lacazette may not score goals at the same rate as the best strikers in the Premier League, including his best mate, but he is one of the most complete centre-forwards in the league. He understands how to use his body to hold up play, occupy defenders, work hard without the ball to put the opposition under pressure and force turnovers, has excellent distribution, and is a willing runner to stretch the pitch and create space centrally and deeper. It is in these often overlooked aspects of the position that Nketiah needs to develop his skill set.

His touch is loose, the ball often ballooning into the air before being brought under control. He is a little physically weak and can be easily overpowered. Sometimes, he is too eager to run in behind and at other times, he is too keen to drop into midfield, his movement neither stretching the pitch nor providing an option to receive the ball.

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These are the nuanced elements of playing centre-forward that takes years to master. Lacazette understands them and frequently performs that a high level. Nketiah is still learning his trade. Spending time under the Frenchman’s wing, therefore, will help no end.

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