When the Gooners saw the Arsenal lineup against the Wolves, some must have wondered why Arteta chose to start Leandro Trossard over Gabriel Martinelli.
Martinelli is fit, and it is practically likely that this Arsenal team performs better when he is on the pitch. At the weekend, there were questions about Arteta’s decision to start Trossard over Martinelli.
“Because I’m the manager and I decide the line-up,” the Arsenal manager said when asked why he started Trossard over Martinelli in the 2-0 loss to Villa.
Well, once again, in Arsenal versus Wolves, Trossard was chosen over Martinelli, and his decision could have been a masterstroke. The Belgian international shined, breaking the deadlock with a shot into the top corner off a Gabriel Jesus assist just before halftime.
That goal brought the Belgian international’s total this season to 14 goals and two assists. Notably, despite being some sort of fringe player, a super sub, he is Arsenal’s second-highest goalscorer this season, after only Saka, who has 18 goals (5 of which are penalties).
Ask everyone what Arsenal’s biggest issue this season has been: a lack of clinical finishers.
But have they forgotten Trossard, who may be one of the team’s most lethal goal scorers?
Trossard averages one goal per 136 minutes, which is the best on the team. Saka, who ranks second in this statistic, averages one goal every 196 minutes.
The Belgian star also leads fellow Gunners in shot accuracy (57%) and conversation rate (27%).
It is also worth noting that the former Brighton player is two-footed. Since joining the Premier League in 2019, he has scored 20 goals with his right foot and 13 with his left, for a total of 33 league goals.
Daniel O
Right now he’s the most reliable of our left wing starters, so yes start him in all games until he fades and someone else gets to be the more reliable starter, which I’m sure that the coaching staff has got sorted.
Apart from his clinical finishing , his all round game is not better than Martinelli. Will be a much better player than Trossard at 29..
I’m not sure, looks more dangerous when coming from the bench and less dangerous when starting. Nothing wrong with the player but probably easier being him last 30 minutes.
Martinelli will be OK again when he gets some better support from his left back and left mid. Until then we’ll have to make do and mend.
Trossard, may surprise people, who wouldn’t know a good footballers, if he slapped them in the face. Is second in our team, in goal involvements behind ONLY Saka. Haverz, Jesus and Martinelli all get in over Trossard and they ALL don’t contribute as much. I dont get why Arteta doesn’t give HIM the prefential treatment he gives his blunt swords.
Funny thing is. Last season at tge end, when some people were saying we lost the league because our squad wasn’t strong enough. He was sat on the bench watching us fire blanks.
He and Ole Gunnar Solkjær have much in common, reads the game excellent from the bench, and do very often have crucial impact when playing.
@Didrik Plehn
I was just thinking the very same thing. Teossard is the ultimate impact sub in the vein of Solkjaer. 👍🏾
So, we have to sit there watching Jesus, Haverz and Martinelli misfiring and wait for Trossard to come on and score. Interesting!!!!!!
@Reggie
😂
As DP and NYG have said, if he has more impact coming from the bench than when starting, he should be a super sub.
His stats at Arsenal as a super sub are way better than when he was at Brighton where I believe he was a starter.
I don’t think face slapping is a particularly efficient method of team selection. TBH I do think he’s been underplayed since joining, but then I’m not a coach earning thousands of pounds per week, so leave that sort of stuff to folk more knowledgeable than me.
It depends on the gameplan, Trossard like anyone else can as well have a quiet game, as proven in many games he started this season. fans do believe players are just marched out to go and perform in their own way which brings out the best in them but at the detriment of the entire team as a whole, which in turn comes back to bite us. Any day can be your day in an organised set up such as ours, depending on the game plan that gets a player at the end of through balls or space to shoot. expecting any player or set of players to bang in goals day in day out in our set up, is as IGNORANT as it gets!!! I take it as being just a typical fan point of view though, which should be expected. All in all, we don’t have a particular superstar in any position in our team, Leo included.
Given his current form, I would start Trossard all day, he is a clinical finisher. Martinelli is a great player, no doubt, but he will require more game time as a sub to regain his lost form after is injury. Arsenal are in need of goals and victories and Trossard can provide the goals.
As it is.
Whats with every saying Martinelli is world class. Look he has a good season last season but he’s one dimensional and seems to have hit his ceiling. Even though he has 6 goals to his name how many came when we was already 3 up or took a wicked deflection on the way in. Rather than get a new cf a top class left winger would be a better signing for us as he are completely lacking creativity on the left flank.
@liam, thank God you aren’t our coach,
Martinelli is currently valued at the top end of £55 million, so when he gets the back up from his LB and LM colleagues expect that to rise even further.
But not yet world class Liam I agree and neither is Trossard, who’s value is at the top end of £40 million.
I like the thoughts regarding Trossard as a super sub, because, when he has started a game, he’s not had the same impact – however, he must be given enough time to make said impact, say 30 minutes?
Trossard found the net against Wolves but there was nothing clinical about it, a fair ‘slice’ of luck but he and we will take it
Trossard does have a habit of being in the right place at the right time, and scoring important goals – all good traits
i think he doesn’t start as much because the defensive side of his game is not as effective, e.g. our intense high press, his out-of-possession game which is so important to Arteta’s arsenal
i take a certain comfort from having Trossard ready to come off the bench to inject energy and bit of chaos if we are in need of goal
vs Chelsea tonight I would start Martinelli with Trossard up sleeve to sub anywhere across the front 3 when needed
Perhaps tonight there’s a good call for using Martinelli’s extra pace against second-choice right-back Disasi.
Trossard is a perfect sub from… let’s say 60 mins. That is a full half with 5 to 15 minuts + time. Arsenal need him as a plan B man, when the startingXI can’t score. He’s brilliant as a game changer. Starting he is not at the same level.