When attackers are being praised for assets other than goals and assists, something is usually wrong.



There are notable exceptions but, for most forwards, those penalty box contributions are their stock-in-trade.



At Arsenal, that is not currently the case. Alexandre Lacazette’s pressing has caught the eye but he was bought to score goals. Mesut Ozil’s work-rate has visibly increased but he is there to create. Nicolas Pepe has won admirers with flashes of potential but for a £72 million price-tag you expect something like the finished product. It’s not that this trio aren’t offering anything — they’re simply not doing what’s most expected and most needed.



Even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang let Arsenal down against Burnley, missing several presentable opportunities. It’s easy enough to forgive the club captain when he’s contributed nine of Arsenal’s 14 goals on the road. Aubameyang and the teenage...