Aubameyang or Lacazette – Who leads the line for Arsenal in 2021/22?

Alexandre Lacazette

The Frenchman had an indifferent season last campaign. While statistically having one of his better terms, Lacazette was guilty of missing a host of clear-cut chances in games that Arsenal would ultimately go on to lose.

However, despite his second-best goal return for the Gunners (13), Lacazette brought more to the table than just his stats and at times made him a better option up front than Aubameyang.

Lacazette’s hold-up play improved as the season progressed, and his link-up with Bukayo Saka, Nicolas Pepe, and Emile Smith Rowe brought the best out of those around him. His impressive displays often came in Arsenal’s big games too as he proved to be the difference. The 30-year-old may endure slumps of form but his knack of turning up for the occasion remains untouched. This led to him being selected ahead of Aubameyang and forcing the Gabon international to settle for a place out wide for spell at the turn of the year.

However, what this did was stunt the growth of Gabriel Martinelli and to a lesser extent Nicolas Pepe as Saka is a certain starter on the other wing. Lacazette has proven he can be a vital cog in Arsenal’s attack, but it was the constant wasting of his chances that caused some angst with the fanbase.

His worth to Arsenal seems to be more with his all-around game, rather than his goal tally as he brings players like Saka and Smith Rowe into play. An enabler for others to prosper, being a connective piece and arriving in the box to get on the end of chances was a balance he failed to strike.

With just a year left on his current contract, it remains to be seen whether he gets another deal. Is Arsenal better served to keep him for one last year or try or move him on before he becomes a free agent? Either way, Lacazette has proved he can be a valuable asset when in form, but will he get the nod over the captain? We wait with anticipation. He has looked the better of the two in pre-season.

Mikel Arteta has two good options to lead the line but just who will he opt for? With no European football at all next term, the focus on the Premier League will be huge. It’s effectively a 38-game season. Both Aubameyang and Lacazette can have focused campaigns with only the league to be overly concerned with.

They will be fresh and essentially only playing once a week; the pressure will be on both to have significantly better seasons than they did last campaign. Boasting such differing qualities, the scope is there for a shared mantle.