Arsenal haven’t been getting the best out of their record signing Alexandre Lacazette this season.

There was plenty of excitement in the summer when Arsenal signed what seemed to be a top centre forward in the summer.

Lacazette had scored 129 goals in 275 appearances for Lyon, and arrived at the club for a record fee.

Since then, he’s scored eight goals in 19 appearances. It’s not a bad return by any means, but compared to the likes of Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Mohamed Salah, it’s lacking.

The Frenchman has no shortage of ability in front of goal.

He’s managed those eight goals on just 2.2 shots per game – that’s a goal every five shots.

There’s plenty of variety in those goals as well; right foot, left foot, headers, tap-ins, penalties, long shots and one v ones all feature.

So why hasn’t he been more prolific for Arsenal?

Expectations have to be managed.

Transitioning from one league to another is not easy. There’s a huge difference in how football is playing in England compared to France, and Lacazette is going from a team built around him to one that’s built around the creative talents of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

A repeat of the 37 goals he scored last season was never realistic.

However, when you watch him play, it’s clear that Arsenal aren’t getting the best out of him.

There have been games where he’s had just one or two shots before he’s taken off. Arsenal have hardly been presenting chances on a plate for him.

The service to him has been an issue.

Arsenal often ignore the early runs he makes in favour of safer passes. Instead of giving him passes to run on to, we’re always looking to play a short pass into his feet.

Lacazette himself facilitates this by dropping short when a pass is on and getting involved in the build-up play.

However, this also takes him further away from goal, and as obvious as it sounds, that means he’s not in scoring positions when the ball goes into the box.

At the same time, the early pass can be the key to unlocking the deep defences Arsenal often come up against.

Whether he’s making the run or someone else is, that early pass can find a player unmarked in space.

As a result, it can draw defenders out of position and leave spaces for strikers.

It’s no coincidence that many of Lacazette’s goals for Lyon came during counter-attacking situations, when the opposition is short of numbers at the back and leaving too much space.

That is the biggest difference between the two sides.

Arsenal find themselves up against packed, deep defences in almost every game.

This, combined with their favoured possession style, can create a high number of passes around the 18-yard-box, but not many quality opportunities.

Strikers will struggle in such a set-up unless they’re strong in the air, as the aerial route is often a way to break those teams down.

Olivier Giroud has profited from that.

The way Arsenal create and use space is also questionable.

Unless Ramsey is in the team, we often have too many players who are drawn towards the ball.

Without runners in behind, the team can’t stretch an opposition defence. This leaves Arsenal reliant on quick passing combinations to break teams down.

Lacazette is an intelligent enough striker to vary his movement. He can come short or play off the shoulder.

But if he’s coming short, somebody has to be running beyond him. And if he’s playing off the shoulder, the ball has to be played early, or somebody needs to be closer to him in support.

Ramsey’s importance here cannot be understated.

Three of Lacazette’s goals have been set-up by the Welshman, all via passes that are barely longer than 10 yards. His attacking nature and movement can compliment Lacazette. He enjoyed a similar partnership with Nabil Fekir during his time at Lyon.

Arsenal do not need a radical departure from their style to create more chances for their striker. Rather, they need to adapt their play to suit him.

Currently, we’re still playing as if we have Giroud up front, and not someone more mobile.

With any luck, these changes will come with time.

However, they need to come soon, otherwise Lacazette will continue to struggle.