Arteta drops fascinating Arsenal hint over striker future

Arsenal got through their latest test without any great concern on Saturday, dominating a struggling Brentford side for the majority of the 90 minutes and scoring two fine goals in the process.

Hale End grabbed all the headlines once again with Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka coming up with the goods for Mikel Arteta’s side, although in almost any positive performance there are points that offer less encouragement.

Once again that falls on Alexandre Lacazette.

He looks completely bereft of confidence. That first half goal chalked for offside would have been precisely the boost of self-belief he needed as elements of his game were severely lacking on the day: passes went astray and his presence wasn’t impacting the game as positively as it could have. Certainly not hopeless or worthless, just generally not enough.

Arteta drops fascinating Arsenal hint over striker future by insisting that Emile Smith Rowe can play ‘very well’ at centre-forward

There is also nothing that can be done about it until the summer transfer window, unless internal fixes are sought.

Fingers always point to Gabriel Martinelli in this instance. But while he knows the position, he plays it in an entirely different way. Lacazette effectively plays as the tip of a midfield triangle, therefore an No. 10-esque player, like Smith Rowe, may be well suited. The manager certainly thinks so.

"“I think he can play in four positions,” Arteta said of Smith Rowe. “As a left winger, a left attacking midfielder, a right attacking midfielder and he can play as a nine, very, very well.”"

Not just well, but ‘very, very’ well.

Naturally upon hearing this everyone will cast their minds back to one infamous evening at Estadio de la Cerámica. Arteta stunned everyone watching on with a decision that files neatly into the category of unmitigated disaster.

But Smith Rowe has changed since then; Arsenal have changed since then; Arteta has changed since then.

Looking at the profile of the player and the way this team operates with its No. 9, there is real scope for the 21-year-old to work in the position: he can turn both sides, operate in small spaces, time his runs into the box well and make slick movements off the ball. Above all it is Arteta who sees the potential, as it was him who, ill-advisedly, first introduced supporters to the idea.

These comments do feel like a nod to further down the line, though. As much as it’s impossible to not have your gaze drawn to the centre-forward position every time Arsenal play, the physical traits that Lacazette offers as well as his tally of five assists in the last seven Premier League games makes it increasingly less likely that Arteta will ring a change at this stage.

That applies for all the options to play at No. 9, not just Smith Rowe, as having found a formula at this point in the Premier League season Arteta will be less inclined to make alterations when the team is finding rhythm in their current mould. Even with Lacazette’s numerous deficiencies, Smith Rowe at centre-forward/false nine feels like one that could flourish in the years to come, not at present.

But it’s a fascinating proposition.