Why Leandro Trossard, Arsenal’s two-footed goalscorer and big-match specialist, could be their real key player – Radar

the column explores Leandro Trossard’s growing importance for Arsenal and the unique quality that makes him such a formidable goal threat; watch Arsenal vs Aston Villa on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4pm on Sunday; starting at 4:30 p.m

It was quite an experience to witness the outpouring of joy following Leandro Trossard’s equalizer for Arsenal against Bayern Munich from the press box at Emirates Stadium.

Thanks to a spectacular first-time finish and agile footwork from fellow substitute Gabriel Jesus, the Belgian was almost knocked off his feet. He has a habit of scoring crucial goals.

The last one delivered to mind the words of his former coach from Genk. “He can handle any situation,” Michel Ribeiro said last yr. “The goals he scores are not just for small teams. He always scores against big teams and world-class defenders.”

Bayern defenders can confirm this. Porto can do the identical after the goal that won Arsenal on penalties within the previous round of the Champions League. Trossard’s total tally of 13 goals this season also includes strikes against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

It is price considering the context by which they appeared.

His strike against City within the eleventh minute of added time within the Community Shield once more allowed Arsenal to win on penalties. His goal against Chelsea earned him some extent at Stamford Bridge. Against Liverpool, it was only at the tip of the solo match that they managed to seal a 3-1 victory. There was also an away winner against Everton in September.

Trossard’s appetite for the large occasion was also evident on his recent return to former club Brighton, where he silenced the jeers of the house fans with a beautifully taken third Arsenal goal.

His knack for causing trouble for top opponents predated his move to Arsenal. Take under consideration the incontrovertible fact that the last goals of his Brighton profession got here against Chelsea, Manchester City and in the shape of a sensational hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Despite these goalscoring exploits, his £27 million move to the Emirates Stadium was not seen as particularly exciting on the time. Ultimately, Arsenal only turned to him after missing out on Chelsea in their pursuit of the way more expensive Mykhailo Mudryk.

But while Mudryk finds himself in trouble, Trossard continues to excel, albeit otherwise. He was mostly a creator within the second half of last season, reaching double-digit assists but only scoring once. This season the numbers have turned around – 13 goals and two assists.

Effectiveness is a continuing topic. Trossard has scored on average every 104 minutes within the Premier League, putting him within the league behind Callum Wilson, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer and Diogo Jota since his move to Arsenal.

The Belgian has change into Arteta’s principal weapon, especially when used instead. Six of his goals this season, including the goal against Bayern, got here from the bench. This is the best total achieved by any player not only within the Premier League but in any of the main European leagues.

Trossard epitomizes the tactical adaptability that Arteta has sought to emphasise. “Whenever you ask him to play, whether on the wing or as a No. 9, everything flows and he is a real threat,” he said earlier this season. “He’s so intelligent. It creates space and opportunities for people.”

The key to that is its versatility. At Brighton he was even used as a winger. However, relating to scoring goals, the real difference is his two-footedness, which is the main focus of the work of Ribeiro and the remaining of the coaches at Genk’s boyhood club.

Trossard, although apparently right-footed, is equally comfortable on the left side. “I think he is left-footed and right-footed,” Ribeiro added. “That’s the key thing for us, working with both feet.”

Ribeiro identified that the identical ambidexterity can be seen in Genk’s other academy products, Kevin De Bruyne, Yannick Carrasco and Divock Origi. But Trossard is a special case.

His combined tally of 13 Premier League goals on the left foot and 19 on the fitting is a difference of just 18.8%, the third lowest amongst current players with a minimum of 30 such goals. Only Jota and Christian Eriksen can boast a more in-depth equal split.

This is a feature that provides Trossard, and especially Liverpool’s Jota, a major advantage on the opponent’s pitch. How to indicate a player his weaker leg if he doesn’t have it? What do you expect he’ll do next?

It’s a conundrum that befuddled Jota’s Liverpool teammate Alisson Becker in a February game when the keeper, expecting a cross or a right-foot cut from Trossard, was surprised by his left foot. photo from an acute angle.

Another goalkeeper, Everton’s Jordan Pickford, had no time to react in any respect when Trossard scored his first goal, again allegedly together with his weaker foot, after Bukayo Saka’s trip, to present Arsenal victory at Goodison Park in September.

Trossard’s unpredictability also works the opposite way around.

There was a pleasant finish between the goals against Everton and Liverpool as Crystal Palace beat Crystal Palace 5-0 when Nathaniel Clyne slipped in to dam an anticipated shot together with his left foot, just for Trossard to feint and go the opposite solution to finish together with his law.

As a result, Trossard, although Arteta plays mainly as a left-back, can shoot from anywhere. Indeed, his Premier League scoring chart this season shows 4 goals scored on the left side of the penalty area and the identical number on the fitting.

He has began just 40 per cent of Arsenal’s games in all competitions this season. However, his goal against Bayern was just the newest reminder of his growing value to Arteta’s side.

Despite limited playing time, Trossard is second only to Saka on the club’s goalscoring charts. With over a month still left, that is already his most prolific season in English football.

With so many key games coming up, starting with Sunday’s live match against Aston Villa, Arsenal need him to proceed in the identical style. Trossard, their two-legged goalscorer with an appetite for vital matches, still has his most vital tasks ahead of him.

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