Add as preferred source on Google

Martin Keown believes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has taken a lesson from Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, something that helped him Thursday night in the Europa League group stages.

Keown has explained that Arteta’s decision to play Alexandre Lacazette in a number 10 position in the win over Rapid Vienna last night may have stemmed from Wolves.

Lacazette, 29, is a centre-forward that played in a slightly deeper role to good effect on the European stage and scored in a 4-1 victory despite his struggling form of late.

Keown has drawn comparisons to the way Wolves chief Nuno deployed Daniel Podence in a playmaker role last weekend to help his side win 1-0 away to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

25-year-old attacker Podence caused the Gunners so much trouble with his match-winning display against them and Lacazette played in a similar creative role in midweek.

“No one really plays the deep-lying centre-forward… We see Lacazette do it tonight. I think that’s a useful role, it’s something to think about,” Keown told BT Sport 2 (10:00pm, 3 December).

“Podence played that way at the weekend for Wolves and also did it very well. Maybe Arteta has looked at that and thought I could put Lacazette there.

“I think this is interesting Lacazette playing in that position. It gives Arsenal another option. Certainly from deep the passes he can make and his shooting ability was outstanding tonight.”

TRB’s View:

Lacazette is a completely different kind of player to Podence in terms of his style of play, but both instances of them playing as a second striker had great impacts on their teams and perhaps it’s something that both sets of fans will see more of moving forward.

Wolves had been a side lacking for creativity in the final third this season, which is a problem Nuno answered by starting Podence in a forward position and it allowed room for one extra attacker in the XI.

It remains to be seen whether Lacazette could frequently play a number 10 position in the league, but similarly it gives Arsenal added impotence in attack and it will commit more bodies forward for them.