‘Trossard is coming in to take somebody’s place in his head, he’s not coming to – it would appear like he’s coming to be a part of the squad, deep down like I used to be with [Bernd] Leno. Like I’ve come to take Leno’s tempo, he’s coming to take one of many entrance three participant’s place.’
These have been the phrases of Aaron Ramsdale on the Fellas podcast final 12 months concerning the signing of Leandro Trossard from Brighton. Quick ahead simply over a 12 months and people phrases carry even better weight. Trossard has began the final 4 video games forward of Gabriel Martinelli, scoring thrice within the course of.
Previous to this, there was numerous speak about Trossard’s prowess as a brilliant sub, having scored six objectives from the bench, greater than some other participant throughout the large 5 leagues in Europe. Personally, I don’t assume he’s extra suited to being a substitute than a starter per se, I simply assume he was probably the greatest attackers in Europe commonly approaching as an alternative.
At 0.66 objectives per 90, Trossard is Arsenal’s most prolific objective scorer, comparatively talking. Solely Bukayo Saka has bettered his 15 strikes throughout this marketing campaign. Given he comfortably lags Odegaard, Saka, Havertz and Martinelli for minutes performed this season, it’s no imply feat.
Trossard’s means to play throughout the entrance line and play with each ft has made him a useful squad asset however he has made the left wing slot his personal in current weeks. Beforehand there had been misgivings about him taking part in in that place since he doesn’t have Martinelli’s explosiveness in one-on-one conditions.
Nevertheless, I feel the crew has taken a step in direction of Trossard’s qualities in current weeks. Wherever Trossard performs, his intention is to wander barely. When he begins as a false 9, he drifts into wider areas. When Arsenal have been 3-0 winners at Craven Cottage final season, Trossard began as a centre-forward however offered three assists, two of which have been deliveries from the extensive left (the opposite was a nook).
Often, when beginning video games on the left wing, Trossard had an inclination to get misplaced due to his penchant for wandering inside. He isn’t actually a large participant or a central participant, he’s a half house participant. Simply take a look at the positioning of his 4 most up-to-date objectives.
Most of them are pictures taken from half areas versus central positions. They’re all additionally first time strikes with him arriving onto the ball after good work from a colleague to set him up. The objectives towards Wolves and Bayern are comparable as a result of Gabriel Jesus practically breaks himself in two creating the possibilities however when the time comes to complete, Trossard takes over and dispatches first time. That’s most likely how you’ll need that division of duty to look.
Equally together with his objective towards Bournemouth, Declan Rice negotiates an assault course teeing up the state of affairs and Trossard applies the bow and the whistle on the finish of the transfer. Whereas the Belgian is technically extremely competent, actually you need him on the tip of strikes, shifting onto the ball for the ultimate flourish, quite than within the construct up.
It was a lot the identical for Freddie Ljungberg, who was joyful for Pires, Henry and Bergkamp to set the desk earlier than he utilized the icing to the dessert. I feel the crew has taken a step in direction of Trossard for a few causes. Firstly, Arteta has all however disbursed with Zinchenko at left-back. Tomiyasu and Kiwior are extra ‘conventional’ of their strategy to the left-back slot.
Whereas neither is absolutely within the Kieran Tierney mould of overlapping left-back, they do nonetheless play far wider than Zinchenko, which, I feel, has given Trossard better license to float into these half areas the place he’s best. His 16 objectives this season have come from an XG of 8.9, making him essentially the most environment friendly finisher within the crew.
His means to strike the ball with each ft is a giant a part of this and he has a really good manner of connecting with the ball, both by placing by means of the ball together with his laces on his left foot, or else sweeping it in together with his proper foot. His finishes are normally low, laborious and within the nook. Once more, this is actually because his objectives contain him arriving onto the ball with out a lot must take a contact or beat a person.
Trossard averages fewer touches per 90 than any Arsenal attacker aside from Eddie Nketiah. I feel he has discovered his area of interest slightly as a finisher, particularly whereas Arsenal are taking part in with this sort of midfield field form, with Rice and Partey within the double pivot and Havertz and Odegaard taking part in as twin 10s.
Havertz’s stint at centre-forward is critical too in my opinion. Whereas we’ve got seen Jesus arrange Trossard very properly in current weeks, Havertz’s is extra inclined to run off the shoulder of the defender and in behind. Whereas his bodily presence occupies defenders when Arsenal have the ball out extensive. I feel Havertz’s presence additionally creates house for Trossard to be extra of a finisher.
With Havertz dropping in subsequent to Odegaard as a left 10, Trossard and Saka sit simply extensive of that magic sq.. With the standard in possession supplied by Rice, Partey, Havertz and Odegaard, Trossard is freer to be an agent of chaos off the ball and to float into objective scoring positions. Each assault wants a stability between strings and percussion. Proper now, Trossard is banging the drum for normal inclusion.
