With Lacazette in form and inspiring, NEOM SC are forging forward

Statistics can, of course, provide key insights.

But they do not cover everything.

Examining Alexandre Lacazette’s 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League, on paper his return of 11 goals and four assists for new boys NEOM Sports Club could be viewed as not bad for a debut season in Saudi Arabia. Admittedly, though, it’s modest for a player of his ability. 

However, what those numbers don’t relay is impact. To that level, Lacazette struggled to sustain the contribution provided by someone with the billing of a former Arsenal and Olympique Lyon striker - certainly when measured against expectations heading into NEOM SC’s historic first campaign in the RSL.

Although, there’s an obvious caveat: Lacazette wouldn’t be the first player to arrive in the Kingdom and take time to adjust. Ivan Toney, who can’t stop scoring this season - nor, to be fair, through 2025-26 as well - has openly admitted he needed a period to settle into his new surroundings when he traded Brentford for Al Ahli in the summer of 2024.

Now, and for the best part of two years, we see the real Toney, who currently perches atop the 2026-27 RSL scoring charts following a blistering burst from the blocks. 

Perhaps the same is now true of Lacazette, because the fabled French forward looks a different player this season compared to last.

In truth, the same could be said of NEOM SC as a club; both player and team appear more settled and more confident, even within the most competitive RSL to date.

Last season, Lacazette spoke about that and how, given NEOM SC were debuting in the top tier, it would take time for the promoted club to develop as a contender.

"We have a fairly young team, [so] we also lack confidence at times," he said. "We struggle to manage our weak moments, and that's one of the reasons why we're inconsistent.

"It's just the beginning, but the project is taking shape. It can't all be done in one season."

It might be early into their second season, but Lacazette’s words ring true. At present paused for the elongated FIFA international break, NEOM SC have improved markedly to force their way into the current top five. The key is to keep this momentum going through the rest of the campaign.

Looking back at last season, Lacazette scored four in his first five RSL appearances, but then found the net only once in his next 12. That barren run coincided with Christophe Galtier’s side dropping from a high of fourth after Matchweek 4 to 10th by midway through the campaign.

Yet there is something that feels different about the team this term. While Lacazette’s numbers are similar - he’s struck five times in seven rounds to sit second in the race for the golden boot - NEOM SC’s play seems more sustainable.

They have more control of games now, averaging 453 passes through their opening seven fixtures, compared to 398 per game last season. Back then, that was enough to be ranked seventh in the RSL, not far off their finishing position in the table (eighth).

On that, they’re also the only team to dominate the ball this season against Brendan Rodgers’ much-fancied Al Qadsiah.

With more of the ball across their matches, NEOM SC rank third for total passes (3,173) - even more than Ange Postecoglou’s Al Nassr, the RSL champions - and second for accuracy (87.3 percent). Naturally that has seen an increase in passes in the final third, up from 733 to 841.

While, interestingly, NEOM SC’s total shots are slightly down - 71 compared to 75 after seven games last season - their conversion is up. It reads 13.4% compared to 12% at the same time last season.

With an improved defence that has conceded only six times compared to 11 through the same stretch in 2025-26, NEOM SC give the impression of an entire club taking a major step forward this term.

Nowhere was that more evident than in their stunning 2-0 win at Al Hilal in Matchweek 6. Not only did that mark the club’s first win against one of the league’s traditional heavyweights, but it snapped Al Hilal’s 47-game unbeaten streak in the league.

While that was one of the rare fixtures this season in which NEOM SC were second best in the possession battle, it displayed a different edge to the side that was missing last season.

Having laid the foundations, can Lacazette and his upwards-trending club now show 2025-26 was merely a transitional campaign? That, primarily, they can build upon their stellar start to 2026-27.