Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette remain part of the legacy left behind by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The duo came to the club as a reward for consistently delivering top-class performances for their former clubs. And to fill a severe need in Wenger’s team that was grossly underperforming.
The Gabonese striker starred for Borussia Dortmund for several seasons scoring important goals for the club in both the Bundesliga and continental competitions. His French counterpart was also grabbing the headlines for Lyon. The 27-year-old consistently hit double figures in goals for the French Ligue 1 side for several seasons before moving to the Emirates Stadium.
Prior to moving to Arsenal, both players scored a combined 72 goals in league and continental football in the 2016/17 season. That excludes assists. Aubameyang netted 38 times while Lacazette was not far behind with 34.
The Frenchman came in first in the summer of 2017 but failed to hit the ground running. The Gabonese was then added in January 2018. There then arose the issue of who becomes the first choice striker. Lacazette ended his first season with 14 goals and set up another four in 32 appearances. This was a far cry from his recent returns in France. His new teammate chipped in 10 and also made four assists 13 outings.
As they begin their first full season together, Unai Emery has chosen to let the pair play together upfront rather than going with one as the main striker at the expense of the other. That is proving to be a good combination. After initially stumbling at the beginning of the season, Arsenal are back to winning ways and the two players have played a big part. Both have found their scoring form and are scoring important goals for the club.
Together they have scored over 40 percent of the team’s total goals in both the league and Europa League. That indicates that they will be vital to the club’s ambitions this season.
Unai Emery has a huge job on his hands as he is tasked with returning Arsenal back to the top. After sixteen consecutive qualifications for the Champions League under their former French manager, the club finished sixth last term thereby failing to play in a competition they have become used to for so long.
Unfortunately for the former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain manager, the competition in the league has become even stiffer. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are still favorites to retain their league title. But Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are determined to dethrone them.
Maurizio Sarri is implementing Sarri-ball at the Stamford Bridge and it is paying dividends as the Blues are yet to taste defeat in the league this season. Neither José Mourinho nor Manchester United can be ruled out of the title race much less finishing in the top four.
Tottenham have made the top four in each of Mauricio Pochettino’s three seasons in charge. Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli still remain some of the best players in the league that can improve any team. They can help Tottenham’s push for a top four finish if not the title.
That highlights the importance of renowned goalscorers like Aubameyang and Lacazette in Arsenal. An injury to one or both of them could be catastrophic for the Gunners. Emery must therefore, find a way to get the best from the duo. He must also get his midfielders like Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey to combine effectively with them to produce the necessary results.
Their goals in both the league and in the Europa League will be important as winning the latter competition can also offer a back door into the Champions League should they fail to secure a place in it through a league table finish.
