Why Arsenal won’t drop Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal knew what they signed up for when they made the decision to move Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on in the January transfer and bring nobody else in.

It’s a decision that has, up until recently, paid off. The best football Arsenal have played under Mikel Arteta has come in the months following Aubameyang’s omission from the team, producing performances and results that have thrust the side into top four contention.

Monday’s heavy defeat to Crystal Palace has presented the biggest setback in that run. Arsenal were beaten, bruised and blown away in the opening half an hour. Despite the second half improvement they could have no complaints over the scoreline.

Leading the line once again was Lacazette, as he has done in every single Premier League game since Aubameyang’s final appearance. That 14-game spell has seen him chip in with ten vital goal involvements, seven coming in the form of assists, with just one goal from open play.

Arsenal vs Brighton: Why Mikel Arteta won’t drop Alexandre Lacazette despite the captain’s abandonment of centre-forward principles

Off the back of one of his poorest performances against Aston Villa, he followed that up with his weakest of the season against the Eagles. Just as his role as the connective central axis in this team, dropping off to create midfield overloads and linking play either side wasn’t there, nor was the goal threat.

That goal threat hasn’t been prevalent for a while. It’s been over 19 hours since he scored from open play. But this was different, and it appears to be worsening.

While on occasion he’s simply lacked the cutting edge or speed of thought to get a shot off, now there is none of that at all. We know he can’t spin his man, we know he has lead in his boots running towards goal, we know his alarming physical capacity can’t prevent him gasping for air after the 65th minute. What was different here is that he didn’t even make an attempt. It’s as if he’s entirely abandoned the concept of him being a striker.

Arsenal have found their stride with him doing ‘Lacazette things’. But they need more. He isn’t doing the fundamental aspects of centre-forward play and while the other aspects are important they don’t justify an abandonment of their other principle demands of being a No. 9. Even if you’re physically incapable, you at least have to try.

Mikel Arteta will know this. He will be acutely aware that if for whatever reason Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli can’t produce from wide areas and the Thomas Partey link with Martin Odegaard isn’t functioning as it normally is that he becomes a player light on the pitch.

A change is needed. It just can’t come now.

Introducing a new player in the role will take multiple matches to build fluidity. Finding a new approach later on in matches is tough because Arsenal are winning games on such fine margins. Arteta can’t afford to test new ideas out.

The main reason Lacazette isn’t going anywhere from the starting lineup, however, is because Arsenal have just lost two cornerstones of their team – one certainly for the season and the ther likely – in Tierney and Partey. The manager will be ruing having to make changes in those areas and any further alterations risks destablising the team further.

Perhaps most importantly of all is that the two missing are senior members of this team. Lacazette is the captain and dropping another of an already slim number of senior figures in the starting lineup is a road Arteta won’t want to head down.

It is a serious conversation to be having, though. Lacazette has been integral to Arsenal’s improvements but he has to take a strong look at his performances and remind himself which shirt number he’s wearing. Just as he’s building himself a new profile, he’s casting aside the other entirely. That can’t keep happening.