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The stats behind Lacazette’s upturn since Aubameyang joined Arsenal

Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have clearly hit it off at Arsenal – and the stats underline the improvement in the France international since Aubameyang joined from Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal spent a club record £46.5million to sign Lacazette from Lyon last summer, but the striker made a slow start to life in the Premier League and appeared to be facing an uphill struggle to break into the starting XI when Aubameyang arrived in January in a £56million deal.

However, Aubameyang’s arrival has seen Lacazette discover his best form as the duo have formed the division’s favourite buddy cop duo, and we’ve delved into the stats to highlight both the France international and Arsenal’s overall improvement.

Before Aubameyang arrived

Lacazette made a steady, if unspectacular, start in north London. He netted on his debut against Leicester City and come the end of January, when Aubameyang moved to the Emirates, he had bagged nine goals in 27 appearances (a total of 1,919 minutes), at a rate of one every 213.2 minutes.

The 27-year-old was perhaps not helped by being occasional deployed on the flank, usually when coming off the bench.

In those 27 appearances, he also contributed four assists, meaning his record stood at a goal or assist every 147.6 minutes.

Looking at the team as a whole, Arsenal won 13 of those 27 fixtures – a win rate of 48.1%. Forty-six goals were scored in that time, a rate of 1.7 per game, while 38 were conceded, 1.4 per game.

READ: Aubameyang and Lacazette: The buddy cop duo Arsenal and the PL needs

After Aubameyang arrived

Whether it be down to the fact Lacazette clearly has a strong bond with Aubameyang, the competition has spurred him on, or simply the team is better with the former Dortmund man in the side, there has been a clear improvement in the Frenchman’s form.

Even taking into account Lacazette’s performances last season after Aubameyang arrived, prior to Unai Emery taking over as manager, he clearly enjoyed an upturn in performance levels.

Between January 31, when Aubameyang’s transfer was completed, and the end of the season, Lacazette appeared 11 times in all competitions (896 minutes) as his campaign was disrupted by injury.

Despite his fitness issues, the striker bagged eight goals at a rate of one every 112 minutes, a 100 minute per goal improvement on his record over the first half of the season.

However, he provided an assist just once in that period, although his overall record is still a big improvement at a goal or assist every 99.5 minutes.

Looking more closely at 2018-19, when Emery has seemingly revitalised the side’s performances, Lacazette has notched six goals and four assists in 14 appearances in all competitions (859 minutes) – a rate of a goal or assist every 85.9 minutes.

His overall record since Aubameyang joined in January stands at a goal or assist every 92.4 minutes, in comparison to one every 147.6 minutes in his first half season at Arsenal.

In the games in which Lacazette has appeared since, Arsenal now average 2.4 goals per game (an increase of 0.7), while conceding 1.2 goals per game (a decrease of 0.2). Their win rate in those fixtures also stands at 68% (up from 48.1%).

It’s worth reiterating that Aubameyang and Emery have played a big role themselves in such an improvement, but they are certainly able to depend on the services of a different player in Lacazette in comparison to his first half season in England.


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