The loss was inevitable....

There should have been no surprises last night after seeing the starting line up without Lacazette.

I made an article a few weeks back saying I believe we could win it if he starts and outlined my reasoning. You can find the article here for those interested... https://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/432709

Clearly Arteta hasn't been watching his team this season, or maybe its club politics, or he just simply forgot the best performances this season and who the starting striker was. For me its simple common sense to start Lacazette based on that alone.

When I didn't see him starting I knew it would be an uphill battle, because with Auba up top, as I've said many times, it is like playing with only 10 men, up until the time when someone puts the ball into the box then we can add the 11th which is Auba, who 9 times out of 10 gets out muscled by the defenders, this strategy has not worked well all season.

When Lacazette starts the team is able to sustain attacks, pressurise the opposition and play less predictably, rather than just crosses the players are able to link up well on the edge of the box, playing off Laca with quick one touch passes which break defensive lines (as seen in some of our best wins this season) and unsettle the oppostion. With Auba we can't do this because he's simply useless at it.

Anyway I know nothing can change the result now but I truly believe we would have blitzed them (like we did to Slavia Prague) if Lacazette started. I have nothing against Auba but if he continues to be our main striker we will fail again next season, he might score a lot of goals hanging around the box, but the qualities he lacks are detrimental to the overall potential of the team.