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How Aubameyang And Lacazette Can Co-exist In The Starting XI

aubameyang, lacazette

In the 2017-2018 season, Arsenal completed two club record breaking moves for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette from Borussia Dortmund and Lyon respectively.[spacer height=”30px”]

However, the arrival of Aubameyang made fans worried about whether the two red-hot strikers can play together in the starting XI and if one of them has to be relegated to the bench.[spacer height=”30px”]

Lacazette scored 17 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions in his first season at Arsenal. That was down from 36 goals in 39 appearances in his final season at Lyon and 27-year-old admits he was frustrated not to find the net more.[spacer height=”30px”]

“Arsene [Wenger] talked to me a lot, I watched videos, and I trained more,” the Frenchman said [via SkySports].[spacer height=”30px”]

“Sometimes you can do everything but it’s only about a little bit of luck, I know it was my first season so I can’t be too hard on myself, even if I wanted to score more.”[spacer height=”30px”]

[spacer height=”30px”]The Gabon international’s premier league debut added fuel to the fire when the former Lyon striker was dropped to the bench as the Gunners thrashed Everton 5-1 with the Gabon international finding the net. Auba instantly usurped Lacazette in the starting XI, scoring 10 times and registering 3 assists in 13 league games before the end of the season – the French forward lining up just four times between the start of February and the campaign’s conclusion.[spacer height=”30px”]

[spacer height=”30px”]Nevertheless, things started to look better after Arsenal’s clash with Stoke City on 1st April. Aubameyang having scored 2 goals gave up his penalty and a chance to score a hat-trick for Lacazette who just got back from injury and needed to score to get his confidence back. When former manager Arsene Wenger was asked about Aubameyang’s gesture he said,[spacer height=”30px”]

I like that. I think strikers who are generous are a rarity, and when you see it, you are very happy, because you know it will make the team much better.”[spacer height=”30px”]

[spacer height=”30px”]Despite the worries of the fans, Lacazette insists he never saw the signing of Aubameyang as a threat and believes the form the duo showed towards the end of last season proved that they can play together. Lacazette said,[spacer height=”30px”]

“I never said it [Aubameyang’s arrival] was bad for me, only people in the press said it was bad,” [spacer height=”20px”]

“I was happy because I knew I could play with him. I didn’t see him as a rival, more like a team-mate, so since the beginning I was happy about his signature.”[spacer height=”30px”]

[spacer height=”30px”]Coming to how the two of them can play together in Emery’s XI, the new Arsenal boss preferred the 4-3-3 formation in 89% of his matches during his reign at PSG. This means that Aubameyang will be shifted to the wings and Lacazette will be on front. Aubameyang can be effective in this position as Arsene Wenger told the Arsenal Website,

“Yeah, I think Aubameyang played a long part of his career on the left, at St Etienne, and in the first year at Dortmund [with Lewandowski], he played on the left.[spacer height=”20px”]

After, when Lewandowski moved to Bayern Munich, he played centrally.” [spacer height=”30px”]

[spacer height=”30px”]Read More on Emery’s possible formations here

[spacer height=”30px”]

https://twitter.com/ArsenalNews_HQ/status/1022433163803615232

[spacer height=”30px”]Against the 8-0 win over Boreham Wood, Emery started with Aubameyang out on the left and Lacazette through the middle. Within 17 minutes, the former had scored a hattrick. By the end of the half, Arsenal had scored five goals in total, with Lacazette recording a goal and an assist and Aubameyang adding an assist to his trio of beautifully-taken strikes from earlier in the half. [spacer height=”30px”]

Sharp in their movement off one another, the two combined on a number of occasions to carve open the defence. Their passing was slick and precise, their spatial intelligence was creative and attacking, and their play could have resulted in more than the five goals that it did. Obviously, the quality of the opposition must be taken into account, but the early signs are promising.[spacer height=”30px”]

[spacer height=”30px”]I personally believe Emery’s era will largely depend on the goals that Lacazette and Aubameyang can provide. The two players stopped seeing each other as rivals and have a good relationship on and off the pitch. They proved they can play together last season. Long may it continue in the next. What do you guys think?[spacer height=”30px”]

    Revant Maheshwari
    Ardent Arsenal lover. Represented school in Gothia Cup, Sweden as a defensive midfielder. CA aspirant. Student of Narsee Monjee College in Mumbai. Keen to share thoughts and opinions with other fans of the beautiful game.

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