Premier League 2019/2020: Arsenal's ideal forward line for next season

Unai's Emery's arrival at Arsenal last summer sparked the start of a new era after 22 years with Arsene Wenger at the helm.

Under the Spaniard's management, the Gunners ended in fifth place in the Premier League while also finishing as runners up to Chelsea in the Europa League.

The consequence of this is that there would not be Champions League football at the Emirates for the third consecutive season and the North London outfit would be seeking to get back into the competition.

In keeping with tradition, they have been rather frugal in the ongoing transfer market, with the only new arrival being that of teenager Gabriel Martnelli from Ituano in Brazil for the sum of £6m while they are reportedly close to completing the loan transfer of Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos.

Arsenal kicked off their pre-season campaign a week ago and have played three matches so far. They've won all three as the Premier League outfit showcase their preperation for next season.

In each of those three matches, Unai Emery has played with different formations, playing with three up front against Colorado Rapids - youngsters Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka all starting up front.

In the 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, Emery switched it up once again, deploying a 3-4-2-1 formation with Nketiah once again leading the line while Ryan Nelson and Saka supported him.

However, the International Champions Cup clash with Bayern Munich indicated the system which would be deployed by the 47-year-old, as he fielded his strongest side.

The game ended in a 2-1 victory for Arsenal and they operated in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Ozil occupying the hole behind the attackers while Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang flanked Alexander Lacazette.

In many ways, this is the best formation for Arsenal to use, as Ozil is best deployed directly behind the striker while Arsenal's best results last season were gotten with Aubameyang and Lacazette starting together.

In light of this, we shall be highlighting the three forwards who would likely feature the most for Arsenal next season.

#3 Wilfred Zaha (LWF)

Zaha is reportedly close to joining Arsenal

Although he might be a Crystal Palace player at the moment, Wilfried Zaha's could potentially be donning the iconic Gunners shirt by the end of the transfer window.

The 26-year-old had earlier stated his desire to leave Selhurst Park and The Emirates has been identified as his next destination, with Arsenal reportedly prioritizing him as their top transfer target. The only stumbling block is his valuation as Arsenal are reportedly way off Palace's valuation of Zaha.

If he were to be signed, the Ivorian international would bring dynamism and pace to the Arsenal forward line, offering a different dimension to Emery's attacking arsenal.

While he might not be the most proficient in front of goal, scoring just 32 goals from 162 Premier League appearances for The Eagles, Zaha more than makes up for that with his speed and direct running and regularly ranks high among the players with the most dribbles completed.

A major drawback to his game is his tendency to hog the ball and attempt to do it all alone leading to numerous fouls, but this heightened sense of responsibility would definitely be reduced due to the presence of superior players around him at Arsenal.

The former Manchester United man has also gained infamy for unnecessary showboating and play-acting, but beyond his criticisms, Zaha would be a useful addition for Arsenal.

#2 Alexander Lacazette (RWF)

Alex Lacazette is a clinical forward

As stated earlier, Arsenal is at their most dangerous when both Aubameyang and Lacazette are together on the field and while they might both be centre-forwards by trade, the tactical modifications of the modern game allow space for only one central striker.

Lacazette is a pristine finisher in his own right, but his Gabonese teammate is more clinical then him and it is for this singular reason why the 28-year-old would be deployed out wide.

The former Lyon man lacks the pace of Aubameyang, so it might seem a foolish decision to play a slower player out wide at the expense of a speedster. But, what Lacazette lacks in pace, he more than makes up for in technique, linking up with his teammates and holding up play.

Lacazette is adept with the use of both feet, so a constant feature of his game would be drifting in onto his left foot to shoot at goal.

#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (CF)

Auba was the joint winner of the Golden Boot last term

As stated in the last slide, Aubameyang is one of the fastest players in the world, so it makes sense for him to operate out wide rather than a slower Lacazette right?

Well, while that might be true, it is also pertinent to note that other than being fast, the 30-year-old is also one of the best strikers in the world.

With 22 goals, he finished as the joint-highest goalscorer last season. His overall Arsenal record reads 32 goals from 49 Premier League matches since arriving for a record sum in January 2018. He also won the Bundesliga Golden Boot with 31 goals for Dortmund in 2017.

These are not numbers you get every day and as such, Aubameyang would be put to best use as the focal point of attack.

He would, however, most likely alternate with Lacazatte depending on in-game situations where his pace is needed out wide.

So there you have it; these are the three forwards most likely to feature in attack for Arsenal next season and just for pictorial representation, the diagram beneath illustrates perfectly while also highlighting players most likely to feature in other departments.

If Arsenal do manage to sign Wilfried Zaha, Arsenal could potentially have one of the most frightening front lines in the Premier League.

Aubameyang would be flanked by Lacazette and Zaha