How to get Arsenal's forward line firing again

Alexandre Lacazette had a great season last year, but is yet to get much game time this campaign. 

How to get Arsenal's forward line firing again

Arsenal's attack looked clumsy, slow, and devoid of any creative spark in last week's game against Brighton.

The drab 0-0 draw saw the Gunners get eight shots away compared to Brighton's 21, while Mikel Arteta's team kept only 42% of possession.

I doubt anyone would have predicted those statistics in a game between the Seagulls and the Gunners 15 years ago when Brighton sat near the bottom of League One and Arsenal were a safe and secure member of a practically impenetrable top four.

How times have changed, and nothing compounded that fact more than watching Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang et al being completely outplayed in the final third by Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay.

This isn't even a matter of poor personnel, as was shown when this same forward line played Tottenham just a week earlier.

Arsenal have a history of including some of the most exciting attacking talents in world football, even in the past decade.

Fans won't put up with a Gunners side that can't entertain and if the forward line doesn't start clicking soon, the Spaniard could be for the chop.  

So here are the steps Arteta needs to take to get Arsenal's front-line firing once again.

Change in personnel

Despite seemingly coming back into form with a good performance against Spurs the week before, Aubameyang was anonymous once again in Saturday's game against Brighton.

It's simply not good enough and to make matters worse, the man is on £250,000 a week.

He's the Gunners' highest-paid player and talisman but hasn't been able to get a decent run of games together for over 18 months now.

It's getting boring, and the time has come for change.

While Alexandre Lacazette did have his best season in the famous red and white shirt last season, it still wasn't enough to convince that he has the quality or goals to lead the line for several seasons to come.

It's time to sell them both and try to reinvest that money in a better option for the club's short and long-term vision.

The players that spring to mind as potential replacements are Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Lautaro Martínez. 

Give them time

Saka and Smith Rowe need time. 

They have the potential, the skill, and the love of the Arsenal fans needed to lead the line for a decade or more.

Smith Rowe has been one of the Gunners' best players so far this season but Saka has had his quietest spell after a tiring summer carrying the entire English national team on his teenage frame.

He'll be back to his best form soon, in the same way that Smith Rowe will probably have periods where he doesn't meet his already high standards.

One thing's for sure; Arsenal fans can get very excited about the future if players at the level of these two young guns continue to be produced.

Consistency is key

While it feels like Aubameyang is finished, while Saka and Smith Rowe will be stars of the future, Ødegaard is somewhere between the two.

He can be a star in north London but tends to go missing in games - something Arsenal can't afford now.

It's simply a matter of replicating the form from the north London derby on a more consistent basis.

In my opinion, the Norwegian wonder-kid will almost certainly become a great player at Arsenal but it's crucial not to get on his case too much during his first season as a permanent signing.

Conclusion

It's not a great time to be an Arsenal fan but the potential to take the Gunners back to the top of the Premier League is present in this squad.

They're doing things the right way at last; it just feels like patience may be required while the club clears the last of the deadwood from the squad list.

If that works, there could finally be an exciting, young forward line for years to come instead of one filled with mercenaries like Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, and Alexis Sanchez.