Arsenal have been dealt a massive injury blow as Alexandre Lacazette has been ruled out till October due to an ankle problem. The Frenchman was looking lively in these early parts of the campaign, but his absence will bring forth a lot of changes in the Gunners’ attacking department. In this article, we will discuss what Lacazette’s injury could mean for the other attackers and Arsenal, in general.
Aubameyang the “main man”
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been quite surprisingly utilised as a wide-attacker by Unai Emery so far this campaign. The Gabonese international was Premier League’s joint top-scorer last season along with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
However, Lacazette’s absence from the team means Aubameyang will once again shift into a central role, becoming the club’s main number nine. He played in this position for almost the entirety of his spell at Borussia Dortmund, notably scoring 141 goals for the club.
The 30-year-old operated as a number nine for the most of last season as well. But after primarily featuring as a winger so far, it will be interesting to see how “Auba” manages to integrate to his new role.
A blessing for Reiss Nelson?
Lacazette’s ankle injury will serve as a boon for Reiss Nelson, who was one of the most exciting Arsenal players heading into the new season. However, the young England winger has failed to make an impact, mustering only 116 minutes of league football so far.
That being said, Aubameyang shifting into a wide role will allow Nelson to get back into the starting lineup. Additionally, he likes to operate on the left, which shouldn’t create any conflict between him and Nicolas Pepe, who is a right-winger.
Nelson showed last season that he is capable of playing at a higher level of football. But, whether or not he manages to make his Premier League breakthrough this campaign, remains to be seen.
A change in tactics
Arsenal are generally an attack-minded team, which likes to operate centrally and breach the opposition using neat passes in behind the backline. Lacazette’s smart movements and positional awareness, to that end, helped them open up spaces in the final third.
But, with Frenchman out injured and Aubameyang the leading forward, it won’t be surprising to see Arsenal employ a more wing-oriented approach. That means the extra cynosure will be on providing dangerous crosses from the flanks, which could be beneficial for the wide-duo of Nelson and Pepe.
