How Leandro Trossard fared in new Arsenal role after telling Mikel Arteta where he can play

LEICESTER 0-1 ARSENAL: January signing Leandro Trossard was handed a slightly different role as Arsenal travelled to Leicester and endured a mixed afternoon the East Midlands despite victory for the Gunners

Trossard began the game in the centre of the Gunners attack (

Image: Getty Images)

Arsenal star Leandro Trossard was given a slightly different role as the Gunners edged past Leicester to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Bournemouth.

With Eddie Nketiah on the bench, the former Brighton man was selected to lead the line in the East Midlands. Whilst it was an unconventional move from Mikel Arteta, it was a demand that Trossard believed he could live up to.

Speaking shortly after arriving at the Emirates Stadium, he said: “I like to be in the pocket behind the striker. On the wings, I can explore myself as well.

“I’m comfortable in either of those positions but if I were to choose, behind the striker – but it all depends on the system. I think I’m good in 1v1s. I’m composed in the box, so if I get chances, I can finish them off.”

Arteta’s selection decision appears to have been one that paid off after Trossard played a key role in the Gunners’ eventual winner albeit in testing circumstances.

It was always going to be a tough task for Trossard to match the electric displays of the in-form Nketiah. The diminutive wideman’s task then got considerably more difficult after being faced up by the gigantic Harry Souttar – the Australian at least a foot taller than the Arsenal man.

Leandro Trossard saw his goal vs Leicester ruled out by VAR (

Image:

Getty Images)

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That mismatch looked clear immediately as Souttar won the pair’s first two duels; one in the air and the other on the floor. Trossard did have his moments of threat though.

He at first just failed to get to a low cross into the Leicester box before he had an effort block by compatriot Wout Faes.

For a brief moment, it looked as though Trossard had managed to escape the clutches of his markers after thinking he had given the Gunners the lead. After Leicester failed to clear a corner, the ball found its way to the Belgian, who shifted it onto his right.

With his next touch, he lashed an effort into the top corner of Danny Ward’s net. His celebrations were short-lived though after referee Craig Pawson was sent to the VAR monitor and chalked the strike off for a foul on the Welsh stopper.

The wideman ended the half stationed out on the left, whilst he also saved special attention for Pawson as he followed him down the tunnel to enquire exactly why his wonderstrike was ruled out.

Fortunes certainly improved after the interval as Trossard played a role in Arsenal’s opener less than a minute after the restart. The Belgian latched onto Gabriel’s brilliant clearance and rolled an excellent ball for Gabriel Martinelli to latch onto – the Brazilian rolling home under Ward.

Trossard’s afternoon was brought to an end just before the 70-minute mark with Arteta having plenty to consider.

Whether he sticks with his Belgian-based experiment remains to be seen but he does not have long to make his decisions with Everton to come in midweek.