Arsenal: 4 reasons Alexandre Lacazette needs to be dropped

It’s a conversation that supporters thought they had navigated around. When the decision was made and the jury deliberated over their verdict, in the weeks that passed they waived the guilty charge: Arsenal placing their faith in Alexandre Lacazette had worked.

Well, not anymore. Important to note is that the following two statements can be true:

• Lacazette improved Arsenal over Aubameyang
• Lacazette is not going to raise Arsenal to a top four level

The Frenchman produced arguably his worst outing of the season against Brighton. He was dreadful, and it was a continuation of two or three poor performances before that. But when was the last time he actually had a good game? Not just a display where he helped facilitate strong displays elsewhere, but where where he actually played well?

4 reasons Arsenal need to drop Alexandre Lacazette from the team with his Premier League performances offering the side nothing

Lacazette has been given an easier ride than most. Well loved by the fanbase irrespective of his limitations, it is not acceptable that a 30-year-old Premier League footballer is shattered after 60 minutes. He’s not 42 years old, he’s 30. Him being a respected leader around the club and his contract expiring in the summer has also contributed to the narrative around him.

This is now at a critical stage where what he is providing Arsenal requires full forensic analysis. All of the link-up play he was famed for isn’t there either. That was the only aspect mitigating his complete lack of goal threat. Losing that as well now calls for action.

With top four still a faint hope and European football on the whole even on the line, Arsenal have to try something for the sake of the season.

Nobody is in the belief that whatever change happens at No. 9 or with the system will be the answer, because there is no definitive magic formula. What the situation is now is that it can’t really be any worse. It’s not what the best solution is, it is what the least worst solution is.

This is genuinely painful to say given how much Lacazette is liked from an emotional point of view – there is absolutely no enjoyment drawn from treading down this path – but something must be done.

1. Arsenal Have Become Too Easy to Defend Against

There are two sides to football: how to defend against a team and how you attack against them. Mikel Arteta succeeded in messing up both those aspects against Brighton.

Yet with Lacazette leading the line the latter point is becoming predictable and simple to nullify for the opposition. Ask any central defender what they fear the most and it’s being caught in behind, or, at the very least, stretched vertically to leave gaps in front.

For the likes of Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk and Joel Veltman of late, they could have pulled up a chair and ordered fish and chips from around the corner. They weren’t being tested in the slightest. Centre-backs are in dreamland knowing that they can keep their line high, squeeze the pitch, pin back Arsenal’s threat in wide areas and assert themselves on the game without any fear of being caught at pace through the middle.

It’s so easy to defend against. Everyone knows what Lacazette will do and the fact he doesn’t even make any attempt to spin his man or burst in behind, regardless of whether he’s physically able or not, has resulted in matches where Arsenal become reliant on nicking the odd goal to win games.

Aston Villa away, for example, should not have been a 1-0 game. While we talk about the chances that were there for Arsenal, it’s important to note which ones were not. As Villa pushed on and the Gunners sat deeper, there was no out-ball or threat in behind. They were allowed to force their line high. Lacazette would come deep once more and the team were left to try and build way back in their own half.

There has to be a different threat.

Continued on next page…