BIRMINGHAM — Leandro Trossard was less than impressed. For the second Premier League game in a row, he had been confined to the bench, left to watch on as his Arsenal teammates wobbled in pursuit of a crucial victory against Aston Villa, one that they had scarcely looked like getting before Mikel Arteta turned to his super sub as the game entered its final third.
A goal off his first touch didn’t elicit much of a celebration from Trossard, William Saliba having to thud the goggles out of his sullen-faced teammate. Somewhere between miffed and furious, this was just the energy Arteta had wanted off the bench.
“First of all, that when you don’t get picked there are certain ways to react,” said Arteta. “Leo is upset but he’s upset to show on the pitch how good he is, not upset then come in, and because I wasn’t playing, then it is like this. That’s a huge quality.”
Unfortunately for Trossard, it’s one that Arteta might just be tempted to exploit in a 12th-man role more often in the future. Whether it’s late equalizers against Chelsea and Bayern Munich or clutch goals against Liverpool and Everton, the Belgian has made a habit of delivering off the bench in the last season and a bit.
Trossard’s is a particular quality, one that is particularly valuable for teams like Arsenal, who will often find themselves bashing away against low blocks over the next nine months (though Villa tested their visitors with far more than just a deeper defensive line). He comes in hot, not a moment needed to play himself into a contest. That was just what his teammates needed in this unforgiving clash.
For the hour beforehand, Arsenal had found themselves in an almighty scrap, the sort that has become the norm ever since Emiliano Martinez made the switch from north London to the Midlands. He had saved well from his former teammate Bukayo Saka but it was the man who, a few goalkeepers removed, succeeded him in the Gunners’ goal who was having the most profound impact on this contest. Eight minutes into the second half, Amadou Onana’s effort from range had looped up awkwardly, crashing into the Arsenal crossbar and leaving David Raya stranded.
It seemed the simplest of tasks for Ollie Watkins to flick a header into an empty net. When Raya somehow slapped the ball to safety the immediate assumption was that this must have been an underpowered effort by the England international. Certainly, he could have directed it a little wider and had the game’s opener to himself but to even acknowledge it was within the outer limits of Raya’s reach is to do down a save of the season contender, the second in as many weeks from a player who is vindicating the political capital that Inaki Cana expended on making him Arsenal’s No. 1.
Raya had already had further help from Watkins in earning his clean sheet, a rolled shot wide of goal that brought to mind Martin Odegaard’s baffling miss at this ground 18 months ago. That chance had come from the ferocious pressure of Morgan Rogers, already shaping up to be one of the breakout stars of this season. Thomas Partey in particular will be having sleepless nights over their duels, the youngster so adept at receiving the ball with his back to goal, spinning and driving. On another day, Trossard’s introduction might simply have come too late. Villa could have made it three on the bounce against the side whose title bid they so spoiled last season.
In possession, Arsenal looked quelled, fearful of a repeat of their last two meetings with Unai Emery. Their left flank seemed overpopulated with players who wanted the ball played in behind but did too little when they got it. Too often Jurrien Timber, impressive on his first away league game, looked up to find few options that didn’t require him to thread a pass through at least one line of Villa defense. Gabriel Martinelli had been posing something of a threat, one dart to the byline resulting in a low cross that Kai Havertz might have done better with. But Arsenal had run aground on that flank long before Arteta’s first change with 65 minutes on the clock.
Within two minutes, Trossard had addressed the issue. Where Martinelli’s overwhelming desire is to get the ball at his feet and attack his fullback, his replacement was perfectly happy to hang back, his distance from proceedings bordering on diffidence. Declan Rice had gotten the attention of Kosta Nedeljkovic. Trossard would just wait.
“I said in the first half — obviously, I’m on the bench and can have a look at the game — I knew there was space in behind,” said Trossard. “I’m just hoping the ball will land around the penalty spot and I’m reading it.”
Then Arsenal did what they do as well as anyone. The Ben White, Odegaard, Saka triangle pointed the latter to the byline, his cutback finding everyone running in the wrong direction. Everyone that is except Trossard, who darted between the lines. Kai Havertz and Rogers both stuck out an instinctive boots, their combined deflection doing nothing more than setting the ball nicely for perhaps Arsenal’s best finisher. Since departing Brighton, 80 shots have resulted in 9.9 expected goals, 14 actual.
The numbers get all the more impressive when he comes off the bench. A goal every 75 minutes. A shot every 23. And so many of those shots are the ones that Arsenal need, a player getting to the penalty spot and letting fly off a cutback.
For their part, Villa hadn’t quite learned the lessons from their first brush with Trossard. Ten minutes after he opened the scoring he was ghosting in behind the backline to claim Gabriel’s ball over the top. His low drive flashed across the six-yard line, Saka claiming it on the opposite flank and rolling the ball for Thomas Partey to bend past Emiliano Martinez at his near post. Trossard had swung the game in Arsenal’s favor and not for the first time. Arteta might run the risk of a fair few more glares in the season ahead but they’d be more than worth it if they come with the returns he delivered tonight.
