Arsenal: Lacazette injury shoulders responsibility onto the youth

Well, it was fun while it lasted! After recording two emphatic away victories in the last seven days and sealing their place in yet another Europa League semi-final, Arsenal and their elusive search for consistency continued on Sunday as an injury-time equaliser saw them draw 1-1 against relegation-threatened Fulham.

Looking for back-to-back league wins for the first time since January, Mikel Arteta’s side seemed hungover after their midweek European exploits, and the attacking efficiency they demonstrated in Prague was nowhere to be seen during what was a lethargic performance.

In the end, the dropped points will probably bear little significance in the final league standings, and our focus remains very much on achieving European success next month in Gdansk. However, although the collective display was below par, perhaps the most concerning aspect of the match was the injury suffered by Alexandre Lacazette.

Surviving the changes made for the visit of Scott Parker’s Cottagers, Lacazette was given an opportunity to build on his impressive recent form at the weekend and he combined delightfully with his younger teammates throughout the game as we tried to break the deadlock. Lady Luck wasn’t present and shortly after the hour mark, the Frenchman pulled up clutching his hamstring and had to be replaced by eventual goalscorer Eddie Nketiah.

Alexandre Lacazette’s injury against Fulham means Arsenal will once again turn to youth for striking solutions

Arteta admitted in his post-match interview that Lacazette’s withdrawal was “not good news”, and his impending absence will come as a huge blow ahead of the upcoming domestic run-in. Our No. 9 has been a standout performer in recent weeks, notching five goals in his last seven games, and his two-goal showing against Slavia Prague on Thursday highlighted his undoubted importance to the team.

With Lacazette out of action for the foreseeable future and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang still recovering from malaria, the striker role at Arsenal is up for grabs and, as was the case over Christmas, we will have to turn to youth to solve it. One potential candidate for the vacancy is Nketiah and, considering his reduced playing time of late, the England Under-21 international’s crucial weekend intervention may help to restore the manager’s apparently diminished faith in him.

The attacking void may also see Gabriel Martinelli get an extended run in the team. Making his second consecutive start for the Gunners on Sunday, the Brazilian’s menacing runs and direct style caused considerable problems for the Fulham defence, and he was unfortunate not to cap off the performance with a goal.

Having struggled with his own injury issues this season, the 19-year-old has finally returned to full fitness and now would be the ideal time for him to showcase his undoubted potential. And then there is Folarin Balogun, who looks set to make the bench for a Premier League match for the first time in his career. An exciting prospect.

Arteta has had to contend with a number of key injuries since last month’s international break, and losing key players is the last thing we need at what is a critical stage of the campaign. However, the Gunners have some of football’s most prodigious young talents on their books and will need them to step up to the plate yet again if they are to end the campaign on a positive note.