Watford vs Arsenal: 4 pre-match talking points

4. A Goal for Alexandre Lacazette?

Arsenal don’t necessarily need Lacazette to score even once for them to claim a top four spot this season. He has five assists in his last eight Premier League matches – which we will count as six due to his involvement in the winning goal against Watford – and it’s his contributions on the whole which are most important.

Every element of the team flows more when he’s in the side, as even when his shooting is dreadful and he makes the wrong decisions, the fact remains that Arsenal are a more well rounded side with him than without out.

That said, goals are helpful. He’s a confidence player and the boost he’ll get if the net ripples will do him the the world of good. Fans remember how relieved he looked when he totally fluked a shot into the top corner against Newcastle with his wrong foot two seasons back to end a ten-game drought. At present, as games get into the later stages the self-belief he has slowly drains away.

Hopefully the goal against Wolves will have a similar effect to him actually scoring. It was a Jose Sa own goal, with Lacazette’s effort going wide and needing two deflections to hit the back of the net, but it felt like his goal.

If Arsenal scrape a 1-0 win there is nobody else you’d rather have scoring the winner. While his overall contributions are most important, a goal against the Hornets will be hugely beneficial to him and the team.