Alexandre Lacazette has failed to score from open play in his last 17 matches. This, for an Arsenal team hoping to qualify for the Champions League is simply not good enough.
I want to be positive about what the Frenchman has brought, and the seven assists have certainly aided in gaining Arsenal the points required to even be in the race for the top four. However, it is impossible to get away from the lack of goals when our main rivals Spurs have Harry Kane and Son Heung-min scoring for fun.
Should Arsenal finish behind Spurs, the main reason will be the lack of a consistent goal threat from the striker. The responsibility is falling on the kids to score and both Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe earning double figures for goals, whilst great, should not be the main source of strikes for this team.
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Therefore, something does need to change and with the match with Brighton approaching there are a number of options Mikel Arteta has at his disposal. Just taking Lacazette out of the limelight for a game to experiment against a poor Brighton could benefit the team overall and for the run-in.
Eddie Nketiah
The first option is certainly the weakest in my opinion. Eddie Nketiah has been brought on consistently throughout the season but has failed to make an impact. Granted he has gone close; he hit the post against both Watford and Crystal Palace.
However, Arsenal often lose all the positives that Lacazette has provided regarding link-up when Nketiah enters the field. Only when he plays with Lacazette instead of replacing him has he offered some tangible impact as shown in the assist for Nicolas Pepe against Wolves.
I understand why Nketiah continues to be brought on. He needs to be kept match sharp in case of a scenario where he is called upon. And let’s face it, the kid can score and has done so but not at the highest level. This is the main obstacle and a reason why in the summer he should move on and Arsenal need to consider other options for now.
Gabriel Martinelli
Having already featured in the number nine role for Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli has experience. However, he has little success to show for his outings in the central position. He is working on this in training and football.london understands the Brazilian international is being developed in the striker role by Mikel Arteta.
Without question, he has shown more dynamism and clinical finishing at the Premier League level than Nketiah. It is now about learning the movement, positional awareness and link-up knowledge that a striker must know.
However, for now, Martinelli could be a viable option and allow Smith-Rowe to continue in the left-wing position where his goal tally has been enabled to shoot up. Yet, there would be questions about how Arsenal's overall attacking play would be affected.
Nicolas Pepe
The final option I see as a genuinely viable choice is Nicolas Pepe. I have been very much against the idea of forcing square pegs into rounds holes and this was one of those very examples I refused to consider. However, things change.
Pepe is by far one of the best finishers at the club. Yet I have so many concerns about his touch and his link-up. Although, it is his unpredictable nature that draws me to consider the Ivorian. His goal against Wolves showed that when he is given the ball in the box he can make a difference.
Out wide, he often struggles to be impactful. But remove some of the obstacles, such as the numerous defenders he needs to beat, and position him in the box from the off and perhaps the results could surprise us.
With Brighton the opponent, I think there is plenty of scope to at least try him there. However, it is my expectation that this would be the last thing Mikel Arteta would look to do considering he has had opportunities in the past to try this and opted against it.
