Arsenal’s future attack: With a number of moving parts, what does it look like? Pitch to Post Analysis | Football News

Arsenal’s offensive line comes to a crossroads in the summer – what’s next?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returned to form with a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Leeds on Super Sunday, meaning the striker, playing through the midfield at the Emirates, has earned more in his last four shows than before. 16.

If Aubameyang is going to play in the middle from now on for Mikel Arteta ‘s side, who will he be with? And what’s next for Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and others?

Lacazette enters the final year of his Arsenal contract next season, while Nketiah, who was heavily linked with a move away from the club on loan in January, has just 10 years in the Premier League. played in 2021.

Gabriel Martinelli, who was out injured until the end of December, signed a new contract in the summer, but has struggled for late minutes in the first XI, while the battle is for one 19-year-old Folarin Balogun to sign a new contract at the club, with several European clubs circulating.

With several moving parts, what’s next for Arteta’s front line? On Sky Sports News’ latest Pitch to Post Review show Roger Clarke and SkySports.com’s Brand Gerard discuss …

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Lacazette to leave? Pepe starter? Big decisions for Arteta …

Sky Sports’ Roger Clarke News on Pitch to Post Review:

“I’m not sure Mikel Arteta knows right now. If it’s going to be true that Aubameyang is playing down the middle, who will fill the other two sides? We’re talking about more experienced players in Aubameyang and Lacazette, and the rest are pretty much undecided, but they look optimistic, and it ‘s about how Arsenal find the balance.

“As for Lacazette, going into his 30s and into the final year of his contract, you think if there ‘s going to be a sacrifice, with Arsenal trimming the squad, it’ s Lacazette. What does that mean for the rest of Arsenal ‘s front line?

“If Aubameyang doesn’t play down the left, Nicolas Pepe may be in that position. He’s in good shape, but Arteta is still trying to work out. A lot of people have high hopes for Martinelli, but it hurts Can you make your money on being at the club in the long run?

“As for Folarin Balogun, this is a name that will keep coming – they’ve apparently been talking since November, and Arsenal insist he wants to stay, and they to keep it – but we had no movement there, and it is reported that there is a lot of interest from other clubs.

“He’s the guy I think they need to tie down. Nketiah hasn’t made the place for himself – he’s coming in and out, playing cup games, but the Arsenal winner may not be their hopes for progress.

“I think Aubameyang and Pepe will be part of that three-on-one face-off, and a battle between the other young players. Who will implement their bid? Big decisions for Arteta to make in the months ahead.

“I know some people aren’t sure with Nicolas Pepe, but we put a lot of emphasis on big money signs, they come in a different team, a different culture, and they have expectations do they deserve some more time to find his feet? Because he has seen sights.

“Because they had so many issues with players going into the final year of their contract, they had a policy not so long ago where they weren’t going to let players go into the two years of their contract. That seems to have gone out the window. “

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Forward challenge for Arsenal hierarchy

Sky Sports’ Gerard Brand presentation on the Pitch to Post Review show:

“This is interesting and I think Arsenal need to be careful here. They have a history of abusing players, or players abusing the club, when it comes to the their contracts.

“Arsenal rarely, if ever, make money when they sell on players. Check out Mesut Ozil, Sokratis, Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sanchez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jack Wilshere, Shkodran Mustafi, Danny Welbeck, Santi Cazorla… the list goes on.

“These are players who spent £ 200m on it and almost recovered a penny either through their contract running out or not selling at the right time, or valuation just drops while at the club.It’s not a good sight.

“Now they have done some hard work in January in easing the salary bill with Sokratis, Mustafi, Chad Kolasinac and of course Ozil but there will be more challenges in the summer with the attacking players on the line. we mentioned.

Aubameyang back on song

3:02

Sky Sports’ Gerard Brand presentation on the Pitch to Post Review show:

“I think he said the first goal overall – he was brave enough to put in a few steps there, and then he used those two Leeds defenders as a wall. You know. he has the keeper ‘s weight going to his left until he shoots to his right, it’s right forward play, which is his quality.

“I think Arteta was very clever in playing it in the middle against Leeds, especially because against Leeds you are going to get chances. Lacazette has been one player to took advantage of the turn up in shape around the new year to admit this game was a big move from Arteta, which I think is a very bold manager and not afraid to put his foot down down, as we have seen with Aubameyang before.

“Arteta said Aubameyang has looked back to normal in training, too, so all the signs are positive.

“Certainly, I think, there will always be a bid for Aubameyang to start out wide because of the way he led Arsenal to the FA Cup last season out of there, but i think those games make a bit of a cloud judgment – his goals in there were the semi – final and the final were right goals for the attacker.

“The key is a rub in the box for Aubameyang, and while it can be of broad quality, it’s very deadly in the box. I wouldn’t shoehorn it out for anyone. “

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