ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE’S recovery from travel sickness will give Gooners hope there could be life after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Of course no Arsenal fan wants to see their Gabon goal-getter leave the club.
But if he does end up going, Lacazette showed at Spurs that all might not be lost.
The French forward was axed for last week’s trip to Wolves having previously failed to score in any of Arsenal’s previous top-flight travels this term.
And the call by manager Mikel Arteta worked a treat as Lacazette followed his goal from the bench at Molineux by becoming the first player to score a goal in a North London derby at Tottenham’s new stadium.
His stunning 25-yard strike into the top corner, which gave Arsenal a 16th-minute lead, showed while Auba might be the Gunners’ main striker, he is not the only piece of quality they have up front.
It was Lacazette’s 11th goal of the season and if they keep him scoring, home and away, then the Gunners will not be short of options in attack, regardless of what happens to Aubameyang, who is now in the final year of his contract.
Lacazette’s super strike was the highlight of arguably the most surreal showdown with their local rivals.
It was worthy of being the winner and might have been had Sead Kolasinac’s misplaced pass in defence not gifted Son Heung-min an equaliser three minutes later.
Arsenal getting caught trying to play at the back showed as far as Arteta is concerned, you can take the coach out of Manchester City…
While the number of chances the visitors conceded in the second half, including Toby Alderweireld’s headed 81st minute winner, highlighted the Gunners chief is not blessed with the same amount of riches in defence as he has in attack.
The problems at the back that blighted Unai Emery and the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s reign are still to be resolved and must do so if Arsenal are to reign supreme again.
The omens looked positive when the TV cameras in the tunnel before kick-off showed a sign declaring Tottenham’s usual home dressing room a ‘Red zone.’
Unfortunately for Arsenal, the derby was blue and white and they only have themselves to blame.
It looks like there will be no St Totteringham’s Day again this year.
