Why he must be kept

‘You have players who are born strong, and Sead is one’

Lacazette following his 113 goals for Lyon over the past four years and, while the Community Shield is a hazardous stage to form definitive conclusions, his impact was more fleeting. At 5ft 7in, a lack of aerial strength contributed to a relatively straightforward afternoon for David Luiz until he was substituted in the 65th minute, but there were still signs for encouragement.

Lacazette did little wrong with the ball at his feet and his quality in front of goal was evident in how he so nearly opened the scoring with a shot against a post from only a half chance.

His versatility and willingness to switch positions with Danny Welbeck by drifting out to the left flank will also have enthused Wenger. Yet the manager can also hardly have failed to notice how Arsenal’s attacks had more sustained focus once Giroud came on to the pitch.

That was explained in part by Chelsea going down to 10 men, but also by how adept Giroud is at playing with his back to goal and holding the ball up in support of his attacking colleagues.

Wenger’s transfer priority is to reduce the size of his squad – and the lists here on the back of the programme underlined an extravagance of options compared with Antonio Conte – but, having finally added, in Kolasinac, the sort of physicality Arsenal have lacked, he must not now reduce it by selling Giroud.