Dear Arsenal fans around the world, a happy new week to you all. How did you enjoy our game against Burnley on Sunday? Or you didn’t even enjoy it at all? As for me, if I am to be honest, I didn’t enjoy the game one bit! I watched the game till the end because I probably thought our strikers were going to conjure a magical moment and get us the winning goal. They didn’t and I was disappointed.
I will like to give kudos to Mikel Arteta for improving our defensive play, ever since he was appointed manager of Arsenal. We now play with a type of structure that makes our defence almost difficult to breach. Musatafi, who has been a victim of fan’s abuse over two years or so, has really improved on his game this season. David Luiz is beginning to play like he did in his early Chelsea days. Every other one of our defenders are starting to play so well that we are now preventing teams from having a shot at our goal and even scoring against us, as witnessed in the Burnley game. With the loan signing of two extra defenders in the last winter transfer window, it is expected that Arteta would improve the defence better. We are gradually getting there defensively.
Now, have we noticed that against Burnley, we found it hard creating chances and burying them in the back of the net? We labored all day to create chances against a well drilled Burnley’s defence? Even when we had some good scoring chances, we could not score them! Aubameyang had a golden opportunity to score in the first half after been put through by Luiz, but he found it easier to miss than to score. I won’t want to really fault Auba because a striker, who has given us 14 goals this season, deserves some slack.
Apart from Auba, Lacazette had a goal scoring opportunity that he also missed. Now, my problem lies with Lacazette’s continual presence in every of Arteta’s first team! I have nothing personal against Lacazette, and I have said this several times. However, my problem with his inclusion in the team, is that he is not really doing anything to justify his presence. He is a good player who scores wonderfully when in form, but then he is not in form right now, and he is depriving other player who can do better a chance to play.
Please I appeal to Arteta to move Aubameyang back to the center striking position, use both Martinelli and Pepe as wingers and see if we won’t start scoring goals. Aubameyang is wasting away playing from the flanks; he needs to be in the box to finish off chances. He is in goal scoring form for now and he should be encouraged by playing him in the box, and not on the wings. I hope Arteta sees this and ponder over it.
We are Arsenal and we are proud.
Sylvester Kwentua
I could not agree more. Thanks for the article, I hope Arteta hears you at some point.
Let him watch our best performance during an away game this season at West Ham so he understands.
Very rightly said in the article. Play a front 3 of Martinelli, Auba and Pepe. It will suit all 3 in their favoured positions and Arsenal will benefit. Also Arteta must play Ceballos instead of Ozil.
Lacazette is showing commitment and fighting spirit unlike Ozil and Xhaka. Play Auba, Lacazette and Pepe. Then play Martinelli in Ozil position. Ozil has been for the past 3yrs but no one says anything. Ozil cannot supply the front 3, then you shift the blame to Lacazette
If arteta continues with Lacazette I will give up on him already, for goodness sake even a small child knows that aubamayang is a goal machine, just play him centrally, play Pepe on the right and Martinelli on the left and see what will happen.
Reasonably enough.
In Your View.
In My View, I still don’t think Laca should be Dropped!
If so, Guardiola should reasonably think of Benching Sterling who hasn’t scored in almost 9matches till date..
All I simply think is Moving Laca into another position.
I disagree with you and here’s why:
1. You can’t compare Sterling record to Lacazette’s. One is a champion who had the best season of his life last year and is a WINGER
2. The other is a pure striker and cannot play on the flanks,that’s why we had to push Auba there every time
3. You said it : 9 matches for Sterling without scoring? it’s 367 days for Lacazette without an away goal
No comparison here.
Even from the look on your name, I know you’d totally disagree with me..😁😁
Had your name be Auba-zette” you’d agree.
Sterling has assisted 6 goals in those periods of 9 matches and he’s always a threat to the opposition,everyone loves Lacazette because of his hardworking style but now he doesn’t even win duels anymore, against burnley he didn’t win a single tackle and yet again he couldn’t at least direct his header on target. If this was Xhaka or ozil or mustafi, everyone will be calling for there head. You said he should be moved to a different position, please tell me what other position can Lacazette play, he’s too slow to be a winger he can play as a number 10, so tell me please.I love arteta but he’s killing this team with his selection.
Yes Sylvester, he should be dropped. So also PEA who missed 2 great and clear chances to win the match. Pepe, Ozil, Xhaka and etal should all be dropped and Arteta can make formidable team from the fans. Our team is what it is now so we should stop constantly look for fault or who to blame but support the team. Arteta said after the draw against Burnley that the team is not what he wants and that shows this team is a work in progress.
LACAZETTE is in a bad period. But, he is behind goals and cuts down on work. If AUBA head mark on an LACA center, it would have boosted moral.
Now, between the 4: AUBA (first), LACA, PEPE and MARTINELLI, you have to choose the most fit.
As if I am telling you things you don’t know, GOALS WIN MATCHES. The question is:how long, as in how many games, do you give a guy who used to be a regular scorer but has lost his touch, to try to regain his form while
1. There are ready-made replacements that ARE scoring goals
2. The team is slowly slipping down the log.
These are the decisions that define a coach and separate the good from the mediocre. “Sorry, old boy, you’ve had your chance. Time for someone else to play, and you can come on as replacement”. Not rocket science, really.
@SA Gooner, thanks for that, I mean how can you have a striker who hasn’t scored away from home for over a year and you keep saying he’s working hard for the team, we would have won against Chelsea in the first leg if Lacazette buried his chances, we would have won against Bournemouth, we would have won against Shiefield United all Lacazette needed to do was to put the ball up because the keeper was already on the floor but he decided to use power and shoot straight at the keeper, against united he was all alone in front of an empty net but he still find a way to not score, and yet some think that he’s untouchable but when the likes of Xhaka mustafi even a young wilock have a bad game they are so quick to criticize them.
And please who gave you the idea of the say Laca is Untouchable?
Think of Benching Laca then Ozil also comes in the picture.
Bench!
MA should play Laca behind Auba, I believe that ain’t Rocket Science As-well.
You are very CORRECT! It’s no rocket science. I’ve been crying out for these ever since. Simply play Lacazette behind Auba.
How can we be playing one of the best strikers in the world on the wings? We must play him in the middle. But it’s a fact that Auba and Lacazette loves to play together and support each other.
Take a look at the link up play between them in the game at Crystal Palace. Lacazette must play, he understands Auba the most and so must support Auba and the best way is to play behind or beside Auba.
Nowadays, your 10 must be hardworking, and Lacazette is just that. He can leave through tight spots, shoot from distance, and he has great eyes for through passes.
Simply play Martinelli Auba Pepe. And play Lacazette right behind Auba as a supporting striker or 10. Play him along Ceballos and Torriera at home and along Xhaka and Torriera away.
I bet you his work rate alone will win us the midfield in most games. And this is key.
We need game changers from the middle field. As long as our middle is played by Ozil and Xhaka, Arsenal won’t create too many chances, and they still gonna concede more.
We don’t have any game changers in the middle. I don’t think that Arteta is being stubborn with his line-ups, I don’t think that there are many options.
Martineli, Aubameyang and Pepe is the only way to go for Arsenal. Arteta should forget Lacazete and concentrate on other players. We have to start winning games by scoring goals, thats the only way we are going to avoid relegation.
The problem is not our forwards. The problem is our midfield. We do not have any creativity from the middle of the park. How many chances has our forwards been served in these past games? I notice them make runs but it’s only our defenders that notices their runs and that’s rarely. Our midfielders are sideways passers.
Simple solution, play a forward from midfield, he’ll either make forward passess, notice those runs, or at least push our attack.
Play Lacazette in the middle, he as a previous winger/playmaker has the eye to make through passes forward (as shown in the Crystal Palace goal, as well as having the ability to dribble away from tight tackles and tenacity to press and defend.
Bench Ozil, play Lacazette as our 10. Attack attack and attack.
No rocket science here…Pepe should be played in Ozil’s position for Arsenal to start winning again
Lacca,and Ozil need standing down until they can perform at a higher level that they are. I personally think Ozil cant or wont and lacca can but thats my opinion.
midfielders need to pull their weight as well. None of them score goals, or take shots at goal. It’s ridiculous.