Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette is the most subbed player in the Premier League... so is he ready to fill the boots of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil?
- Alexandre Lacazette has been slowly adapting to life since joining Arsenal
- He has benefited from the distraction of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil's future
- Arsene Wenger has substituted him in 14 of his 17 Premier League starts so far
- But he will become Arsenal's main man when Sanchez and Ozil finally depart
Arsene Wenger was asked the obligatory question about Alexis Sanchez's contract situation at his press conference this week and, once again, he gave the obligatory non-answer.
'Nobody knows what will happen,' Wenger said. 'At the moment we are focused on the short term. The short term is win the next game with the players who are committed and ready to fight.'
The same goes for Mesut Ozil, too. Yet when those two leave, the spotlight will shine brighter on those left behind, including £50million striker Alexandre Lacazette.
Alexandre Lacazette has had a season of adjustment, but the pressure will soon intensify
He is already the Premier League's most substituted player, leaving the field 14 times
Before moving to north London, Lacazette probably dreamed of the titles he could capture in the Premier League. So far, the one that is becoming his own is the title of the top flight's most substituted player.
In 17 starts under Arsene Wenger, he has been brought off in 14 of them. No-one has been hauled off more. You would forgive Lacazette for getting worried whenever the game gets beyond the 65-minute mark.
It has been a slow and steady start to life in England, yet once Ozil and Sanchez are out of the door, the expectation will soar.
Scroll down the list of Premier League players with the most touches in the opposition box and Lacazette, sitting sixth, is in good company.
At the top is Raheem Sterling, one of the runaway leaders Manchester City's most reliable performers this season, followed by Watford's wanted Brazilian Richarlison.
Then there is Liverpool's signing-of-the-season Mohamed Salah, Tottenham's natural born scorer Harry Kane and comfortably Crystal Palace's best player in Wilfried Zaha.
After that not-so-shabby five-a-side team is Lacazette, sitting above Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Morata.
It says a lot about the position he has been asked to play by Wenger this season as a lone striker, usually with two or three behind in a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil's likely departure would leave Lacazette as their main talisman
Starting next season, though, he will be called upon more than ever. Is he ready for the responsibility?
Lacazette is 20 games into his Premier League career and has had a hand in 11 goals - scoring eight and assisting three. Not bad, but not brilliant.
The 26-year-old has the ability to turn up in the occasional big game. He scored against Manchester City and Manchester United (in 3-1 losses) and he assisted against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Lacazette has not scored in any of his last five appearances but the Frenchman has duties other than to boot the ball into the back of the net. At Selhurst Park on Thursday, he was well involved.
The first of Arsenal's three goals would not have come about were it not for Lacazette forcing Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni into a save that fell nicely for Shkodran Mustafi. He then assisted Sanchez to score the visitors' second.
He has eight goals and three assists for Arsenal this season, but hasn't scored in his last five
When taken off by Wenger in the 75th minute, Lacazette swung his arms in a moody fashion, seemingly showing his disappointment at yet another substitution. A good sign.
Lacazette spoke this week about how he is determined to secure silverware in his debut season at the Emirates Stadium, with the Europa League one of the possibilities.
'I like it in England so that's not bad,' Lacazette said. 'I know I can do better but I don't want to move too fast. It's a year of adjustment. I'm happy.
'I would like to win a title, even though, in August, I already won the Community Shield. But I would like to win a cup, a championship will be hard, but I'd like to win the Europa League.'
The 'year of adjustment' at the Emirates will come to an abrupt end when he is one of the leading big names, not overshadowed by the likes of Ozil and Sanchez.
Maybe then he will finally get to finish a game.
Lacazette may be growing frustrated with Arsene Wenger insisting on taking him off the pitch
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