S Poddar
Leandro Trossard once again proved to be Arsenal’s secret weapon, coming off the bench to score a crucial goal against Aston Villa. He has undeniably been a consistent contributor, but the role of the Belgian has been questioned all season long.
The Gunners have relied so much on Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz to provide that attacking spark, but with Gabriel Jesus out injured and Eddie Nketiah set to join Nottingham Forest, Trossard has stepped up. His has been a special case, normally reserved to make a match-winning display off the bench.
But the big question now is how Mikel Arteta manages to keep Trossard happy. The Belgian’s muted celebration following his first touch after coming on in the second half did raise eyebrows, but Arteta dismissed any concern. “When you don’t get picked, there’s certain ways to react,” Arteta said. “Leo’s upset, but he shows on the pitch how good he is—not upset and come in and react badly. That’s a huge quality.”
While he has started only 18 Premier League games in his first full season with the club, Trossard has been prolific—12 times in the league and 17 in all competitions. He has been priceless to the Gunners in terms of his ability to make an instant impact from the bench, though it is a role that will perhaps not satisfy a player of his quality for too much longer.
The speed of Gabriel Martinelli and the directness of Trossard contribute well to the creativity, but still, that out-and-out No. 9 is missing. Going on to win the title without having that reliable striker is going to make it very difficult for Arteta to find a balance.
The signing of Mikel Merino for £32.6m from Real Sociedad to bring more creativity into the midfield is sure great, but it is now important to see where he stands in the system and delivers defensive stability like Partey did.
This win over Aston Villa has again brought to the fore the fact that Arsenal is not invincible. Though the side was dominant in possession, they were lucky to pocket three points, with Watkins missing a host of chances. The game also showed how depth becomes a crucial factor in such a demanding season.
Knowing that the side faces critical fixtures in the period ahead against Tottenham and Manchester City, the most Arteta will be desperate for is a means to keeping his squad motivated and involved. Relentless contributions from Trossard will become ever more important; however, the manager must make sure that other players feel valued and involved.
