Lacazette’s chance to end worrying Arsenal record vs Palace

The decision to entrust Alexandre Lacazette with the striker duties and captaincy at Arsenal has so far proven to be inspired. Moving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on was only a risk if the club didn’t sign someone else – and they took it.

Lacazette is nothing that everyone isn’t already plainly familiar with. The central axis in the team that glues all other components together and makes those around him as dangerous as they are, he also doesn’t score.

We know this.

With Crystal Palace next up on the fixture list for the Frenchman it sees him reunited with the side whom he kick-started his season against. In the reverse meeting Arsenal were limp and lifeless, sorely needing an injection of energy.

Alexandre Lacazette has a chance to end a worrying Arsenal scoring record against the team where his season began

He had come on off the bench for 18 minutes in the previous clash away at Brighton, with a cameo that offered an insight into what he could bring to the team that Aubameyang, and others, couldn’t.

That was followed up with a stirring 23-minute spell against Palace, one where he harassed, hounded and hurried his side up as they chased a late equaliser against Patrick Vieira’s side. That would ultimately come with the last kick of the game in the 95th minute, and since then he has featured in every Premier League game since, starting all-but two.

Since that day in mid-October, some 21 matches later, he has also scored just one goal from open play. Southampton felt the full force of a flowing team move expertly finished by the captain on that day, some 17 hours and 53 minutes of action ago.

In those 13 games he’s also contributed ten goals in some capacity. Regardless of whether they are assists or goals, to have your No. 9 be directly involved in ten goals in 13 matches is an excellent return. Not least for one who often finds himself gasping for air with 65 minutes on the clock.

And just as that dramatic goal against Palace was the turning point in his season, the hope is that facing them once more in the league could be the trigger for one final flurry. If he keeps up his current record – the occasional penalty and regular assists – then it won’t matter whether he’s scoring from open play for not. Not in Arsenal’s case, anyway.

But for him it will. He needs that goal. He so desperately wants that goal. It was apparent enough when he opted to shoot at Villa Park when Martin Odegaard was in open space to his right.

With the final ten matches of a top four-chasing season to come, Crystal Palace have the chance to be one man’s turning point twice.