Mikel Arteta's three-word outburst at Leandro Trossard as Arsenal star is singled out

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Leandro Trossard shut down his critics once more with another decisive contribution for Arsenal at the weekend. The Belgian’s 58th minute goal, popping up to tap in Bukayo Saka ’s corner at the back post, clinched a 1-0 win for the Gunners in a difficult game against Fulham to ensure they would finish the weekend at the top of the Premier League .

It took Trossard ’s goal involvements so far this season to five across his nine matches - the most by any Arsenal player. Being picked by Mikel Arteta to start all of the last five fixtures in all competitions is a sign that the forward is currently in impressive form, despite all of the doubts surrounding his future at the start of the season.

Arteta did not shy away from praising the 30-year-old’s impact for Arsenal post-game, singling him out especially. Arteta: "Leo has this quality to create these magic moments when the team needs it the most, and that intuition that he's in the right place at the right moment is a huge quality for the team and a massive weapon for us.

"He's been very, very good in recent weeks and now we have a lot of players in a really high emotional state and performance level, which is really good to see."

The Spaniard’s comments were in stark contrast to his berating of the player this time last year, when Trossard was experiencing a prolonged dip in form. Trossard began last season with a controversial albeit needless red card at Manchester City , before his wayward backpass against Bournemouth led to William Saliba having to make a tactical foul on the halfway line, which saw the Frenchman sent off.

In the following game, a narrow win in the Champions League league phase at home against Shakhtar Donetsk, he missed a second-half penalty and carelessly gave away possession again twice on the edge of his own box in the space of a few minutes.

An enraged Arteta turned around to his bench and raised two fingers , while shouting: “That’s two times!”

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He went on to notch 10 goals and 10 assists in 56 appearances. Neither he nor Gabriel Martinelli made a convincing claim for the left wing position, however, both enduring long spells of poor form, with frustrations only exacerbated by Bukayo Saka’s scintillating performances on the opposite flank.

By the end of the season, there was a growing consensus among fans that the Gunners needed a world class left winger to come in and make the position their own. Trossard might have been concerned about losing his place in the squad altogether when the club brought in high-profile summer signings Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, both of whom were expected to earn minutes on the left.

There was even talk of the Belgium international potentially leaving for Italy or Turkey, something he recently dismissed by saying: “There are always rumours like that. Leaving has never really been an option. I feel very good at Arsenal.”

But, after overcoming an early injury, Madueke’s absence and Eze’s preference to operate in central areas has seen Trossard enjoy something of a resurgence over the past six weeks or so. He has, most notably, continued his habit of popping up with important goals.

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His tendency to score off the bench, such as the late goal against Athletic Club last month in the Champions League, has earned him the unwanted tag of ‘super sub’. Indeed, Trossard has been involved in more goals as a substitute than any other Premier League player since signing for the club in January 2023 for an initial fee of £20million and £7m in add-ons.

Still, his overall impact remains underrated, having made the most appearances for Arsenal last season with 56 games, showcasing what a reliable asset he was for Arteta despite the disappointing end to the season. Only Saka has managed more goal involvements (74) than Trossard since he arrived, with the Belgian notching 31 goals and 25 assists for the Gunners in 133 appearances.

If he continues in this vein, Arteta will continue to depend on Trossard for decisive moments, even when his general play is not quite up to the standard of some of Arsenal’s more eye-catching stars, as the Gunners look to end their long wait for a Premier League title.

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