Arsenal striker Alexander Lacazette formed a very svelte figure during his days at Lyon – where he was known as “lagachette” aka “the trigger” – and continued that into his early Arsenal years.
That physical peak was a key reason why Lacazette’s production was that of an elite or near-elite forward during his final 2 seasons at Lyon and first 2 seasons at Arsenal, averaging a seasonal output of 24 goals and nearly 7 assists. His 2018-19 season with the Gunners was arguably his strongest overall as he formed the dynamic tip of the spear from both a scoring and creation standpoint, knocking in 19 goals while serving up 13 assists.
However, in early September of the 2019 season, he picked up an ankle injury and when he initially tried to return after a multi-week rehabilitation and return to play ramp up, he picked up a re-aggravation of the injury which persisted for nearly two months overall.
This injury would be a notable inflection point in Lacazette’s profile as the injury layoff clearly impacted his physical fitness – he looked notably heavier for the rest of the season – and confidence for an extended run of time.
Further, the French striker became more static in his play with a focus on hold-up play and less emphasis on off-ball movement or runs in behind off his excellent lay-offs. This created a more one-dimensional player and has led to Arsenal’s current need for a balanced #9 who can both link-up play consistently while having the necessary pace and movement to stretch a backline.
This roster imbalance was on clear display vs Brighton this past weekend as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was rendered ineffective by Arsenal’s inability to play through Brighton’s structured, man to man press and thus lacking service for his runs whereas Lacazette’s introduction in the 2nd half brought on a much needed target man up-front which immediately changed the complexion of the match.
That introduction also coincided with a clear look at the player who resembled – physically – his Lyon days; waistline notably smaller, cheekbones glistening in the light rain of AMEX community stadium. His immediate difference for the club vs Brighton and his improved level of fitness begs the question – could there be a Lacazette renaissance on the horizon?
Although the player is now 30 years old which often brings talk of an “age-cliff”, that notion has been disbanded multiple times – the advances in sports training, strength and conditioning, rehabilitation, medicine, and science are pushing the age curve farther and farther out.
His renewed physical fitness may be a precursor to a renewed movement and verve on the pitch, particularly in what is looking to be a new contract year for the player. Even though there’s good reason to believe this may be his final season at Arsenal, a fit and ready Alexander Lacazette could make a significant impact for this year’s club prospects and help guide the club back to European relevance prior to his potential departure.
Fin. COYG.
Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT, (@3cbperformance) is a physiotherapist, movement expert, fitness trainer, sports scientist and mindfulness coach. He runs the LA and online based physiotherapy and athletic performance clinic 3CB Performance, is an avid Gooner since 1995, and you can subscribe to his Youtube channel (which posts a variety of Gunners’ related content).
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