The superest sub!
Is there a better impact sub than Leandro Trossard in world football? You’d be hard pressed to find one.
The Belgian managed six goals off the bench last season. No player in Europe’s big five leagues managed more. In the Premier League he averages a goal off the bench every 75 minutes, and a shot every 23.
He kept up this superb record at Villa Park with his first touch. Arsenal had been well and truly up against it before the Belgian readjusted his feet with a speed that would have a mere mortal stacking it, to fire a low effort beyond Emi Martinez.
‘Trossard again’ sang the Arsenal fans. They’ve seen this film before.
Make no mistake, this is not a record that Trossard wants. Any player would rather be starting week-in, week-out. But with the 29-year-old’s ability to change the game from the bench, it’s little surprise that Mikel Arteta was gushing about him after the game.
“First of all that when you don’t get picked there are certain ways to react,” the Arsenal boss said. “Leo is upset but he’s upset to show on the pitch how good he is, not upset then come in and because I wasn’t playing then it is like this. That’s a huge quality.
“When you put him in the starting XI he does exactly the same thing. That’s a big message and a big example for the rest of the team and myself.”
On form right now there’s little battle that Trossard is winning the battle of the left wingers over Gabriel Martinelli. If he’s not in the starting XI against his old club Brighton next week, the Belgian has every right to be even more upset than he was this week.
Raya rescues Arsenal
Arsenal come away from Villa Park jubilant, but they could so easily have lost this game. Ollie Watkins should have had the hosts up in the first half, but there was period in the second half where it seemed a breakthrough was inevitable.
Morgan Rogers got down the left and played the ball to Andre Onana, and as the Belgian’s shot spun into the air off Gabriel’s outstretched right leg, the world seemed to go into slow motion. 42,000 in the stands and 22 on the pitch craned their necks up to the sky as the ball looped on to the bar. Arsenal had got out of jail once, but with the ball bouncing back to Watkins, surely punishment was inevitable.
Then came the outstretched hand of David Raya. On initial viewing Watkins header appeared to be straight at him, but in reality the Spaniard, with his feet slipping beneath him had somehow sprung up to palm away the goal-bound header with cat-like reflexes.
“I thought it was a goal,” Arteta said. “I saw the reaction of the defensive line which was none because the ball goes on the crossbar and we’re all watching the ball and I went no please. Then I see the striker in that position and normally it’s a goal. David’s reaction is unbelievable.”
Villa continued to dominate after, but it was a moment just as crucial as Trossard’s opener when it came to winning the game. If Arsenal go on to win the league this season, then this will be one of those sliding doors moments that seemed to go against them so often last season.
Arsenal’s transfer priority clear
It had seemed as though we were in for a relatively predictable final week of the window for Arsenal. Mikel Merino’s arrival is a matter of time, while Eddie Nketiah would be heading to Nottingham Forest. There were a few questions on Aaron Ramsdale’s future and the need for a back up if he does leave, while an extra forward would be a cherry on the cake if it could be secured.
On Thursday though, that all changed…
“In the training session, just at the end (Gabriel Jesus) felt something in his groin,” Arteta confirmed. “We’ll need to assess him. We need to have an MRI scan to see, but he wasn’t available for the game.
“Probably tomorrow or Monday we’ll have the results to see if it’s a matter of days or weeks. We don’t know.”
The injury has the potential to flip Arsenal’s transfer strategy on its head. If Nketiah does leave then Arsenal’s attacking options suddenly look very slim without Jesus. Kai Havertz has been superb up front, while Leandro Trossard can play there, but if this win at Villa taught us anything it’s that the ability to change games from the bench is vital.
Arteta has been making this case internally for some time, and decided to make his feelings public after this game. “We are a little bit short,” he said to Sky Sports of his options up top. “If we can do something we will do it but at the moment we love the ones we have, they are really, really good.”
Jesus is a superb player but his struggles with injury last season were a huge problem for Arsenal. This latest setback is a timely reminder of just how important cover beyond him is, particularly if they lose another body in Nketiah.
The addition will not be Raheem Sterling, while an out and out nine like Viktor Gyokeres or Victor Osimhen seems unlikely. Nico Williams remains a player who Arteta loves but that move looks tricky to get over the line this summer. Perhaps a stop gap loan of an established ready-made star like Kingsley Coman or Raphinha will be required, but there can be little doubt that Arsenal need something more up top if they’re going to challenge on all fronts this season.
