Arsenal strikers Aubameyang & Lacazette have one crucial difference

Arsenal aren’t scoring goals. Between their senior striker duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, combined they’ve scored a goal in the Premier League every 296 minutes. That’s one every 3.2 matches.

They are not the only ones culpable. Across the entire forward line there is not enough output. There are positive signs, as Emile Smith Rowe is bettering a goal every three games in the league and Martin Odegaard is demonstrating welcome attacking instincts with two in his last two outings.

Encouragement is there in some, and while Bukayo Saka’s tally of two in the top-flight would normally be some cause for concern, he’s held back by his tactical role as the isolated figure on the fifth lane of attack where he is constantly dealing with being double-marked. Not to mention getting kicked to pieces every game.

Mikel Arteta sought to find a solution in his usual elaborate way at Goodison Park by leaving Aubameyang out of the team and having Lacazette up top, even if the Frenchman was everywhere other than in the centre-forward position.

Arsenal strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang & Alexandre Lacazette have one crucial difference that Mikel Arteta has to find a solution for

Two senior strikers to choose from and two wildly different profiles. As far as deciphering what the differences between them are, there are plenty to choose from.

But there is one standout wedge being placed between the pair: Aubameyang is missing chances and Lacazette isn’t even getting them.

That is, in essence, the crux of the issue. It’s no wonder why Arteta felt the need to field both at the same time. The captain looks like he wouldn’t score in a month of Sundays, while Lacazette is geographically closer to his own net therefore statistically more likely to score an own goal. Probably.

Lacazette has played ten times in the Premier League, five coming off the substitutes bench. During that entire period he has had five shots. He averages 1.01 per 90 minutes. Aubameyang is currently scoring 0.12 goals with every shot he takes and has missed six big chances this season. He is 13th in the division for shots taken.

Two vastly contrasting situations. It doesn’t help.

Striker is the one position Arteta has not strengthened in and it’s one he has to. However, as the manager, he has to find ways of extracting as much value as he can get from what he has at his disposal to produce an effective result.

It shouldn’t be that every individual aspect needs to be perfect for Arsenal to be collectively strong, and he did re-sign Aubameyang after all, so whether he seeks new solutions or revisits old ones, answers have to be found to what is an increasingly manifesting problem.

One striker misses sitters and the other is popping up at right-back. This is the situation right now. When those are your options it’s limiting. They’re also options that have, in some capacity, been kept on at the club.

So, without further ado, there best be a way to make them work.