The Arsenal fans are on a Champions League high after picking up a point against Real Madrid, but remember, Chelsea are still watching. There is no friendly neighborhood visit that this weekend’s London Derby is. To put it mildly, Arsenal’s recent Premier League form hasn’t been the most assured. At the very least, Chelsea are only three games without a win now, and suddenly that gap of four points between us and Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea feels flimsy — out of nowhere, that cushion will have gone and turned into a cheap IKEA pillow.
Enter Leandro Trossard. It might not be Arsenal’s sexiest star, but the Belgian forward may just be the man to help Arteta’s side get back on track. The Mikel Merino striker experiment flopped harder than a fish out of water, so Arsenal could do with the Mikel Merino striker experiment flopping harder than a fish out of water than Larry Grayson.
Why Trossard Must Lead the Line
Playing a midfielder up top never works if you aren’t Pep Guardiola in a fever dream. However, Trossard is a through-and-through forward. His off-the-ball movement, third eye of space, and heat of finishing make him the best man to lead Arsenal’s attack.
Gabriel Martinelli being back and featuring will do Trossard good as he played through the middle. Absent from the right is Bukayo Saka, and while young Ethan Nwaneri has promise, Arsenal needs experience to deal with the pressure of Chelsea’s bruising defense.
A Fresh Front Three? Yes, Please!
Arsenal needs unpredictability if there’s one thing. That’s what is on offer in a front three of Martinelli, Trossard, and Nwaneri. Erratically, Trossard floats between Chelsea’s lines while Martinelli, darting between teams, wakes up. Defenders would have nightmares about it.
Trossard has a nose for the big occasion, and we must not forget that. It’s no secret he’s used to delivering them in the clutch. Arteta will be smart and scrap the experiments and throw the ball to Trossard, who will do what he does best and score goals and plague defenders.
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