The Premiership is up and running and the best League in the World has already delivered handsomely in terms of excitement and genuine entertainment over its first weekend.
Expectations are as high as a rock guitarist at Glastonbury and there are going to be a handful of players who carry the burden of their exorbitant transfer fees, none more so than the strikers.
One could say that apart from Lukaku, the other two prominent players are Alvaro Morata and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette both of whom opened their accounts on the opening day.
Morata is small in stature but is an intelligent and nimble hitman who pulls defences apart and escapes his markers with ease. His prowess in front of goal is as undeniable, as is his eye for an opportunity but it remains a mystery why Conte has played him from the bench instead of a starting position.
Lacazette has been devastating in the last two seasons for Lyon, returning 27 goals last term. Equally small but able to deliver a cute pass and receive one in return. Spatially aware and quick off the mark, the Arsenal number nine has a nose for the goal, either with his back facing it or head on.
Thierry Henry, who wasn’t too shabby in the role himself, has observed that Lacazette’s team mates may have to adjust their game to accommodate the Frenchman.
On Sky Sports, he analysed the hot shots contribution on the opening day and apart from concluding that his game was neat and tidy, punctuated by bursts of blistering pace, he added that Arsenal needed to be more direct.
Xhaka, in particular, squandered a number of opportunities to set Lacazette loose, preferring to play a square ball on many occasions against Leicester. It should have been obvious but Henry found example after example where the killer pass went begging as the striker tried to find new avenues in front of goal to avoid defenders and plunder the opposition goal.
His movement without the ball is exceptional and he will get goals but at the moment he may have to drop deeper until the others realise that his game is as a fox near or in the box, unlike Sanchez, who makes his own luck and carves out space that wasn’t available.
It’s going to fascinating, especially with Lukaku in the mix, both Morata and Lacazette will find their feet but obviously, I will side with the Arsenal striker.
He seems to have so much to offer. An eye for goal, great vision and cool under pressure. It maybe a bit early but his game combines the best of Henry, Wright and even Bergkamp.
He has pace, can finish but can also pick out and involve others with clean precision when passing. Watch him off the ball, observe his movement and contribution to the build up play, he is what Arsenal have been lacking, real quality in attack.
Morata will do well but Lacazette looks like he will establish himself as a top striker and be a golden boot contender. If Sanchez stays, which looks to be on the cards, maybe he can be the man to provide the killer pass to benefit Arsenal and Lacazette.
