"He gave us a headache now for the weekend" - Mikel Arteta reserves special praise for Arsenal star after win against Aston Villa
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta suggested Leandro Trossard may have played his way into his starting XI after his exploits off the bench in his side's 2-0 win against Aston Villa. The Belgian entered the fray in the 65th minute and was on target just two minutes later.
Arteta spoke glowingly of Trossard and the impact he made from the bench. The Spanish coach alluded to his previous starting role last season when speaking to Sky Sports:
"The competition is big, we have great players in each position and they are gonna have to accept that. We have a huge season ahead of us and you need players to impact. He did last year when he started, when he was a sub today he did that, he gave us a headache now for the weekend."
Trossard, 29, pounced in the 67th minute to fire Arsenal in front after Bukayo Saka's cutback deflected into his path. He also had a hand in the Gunners' second, combining with Saka, who teed up Thomas Partey for his 77th-minute finish.
It was an excellent cameo appearance from Trossard and he may be pushing for a starting berth next Saturday (August 31). His side face former club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Gary Neville wowed by Arsenal duo Leandro Trossard and David Raya after win vs. Aston Villa
Trossard wasn't the only Arsenal star who played a key role in his side's victory at Villa Park. David Raya produced a sensational save in the 54th minute, denying Ollie Watkins at point-blank range after initially tipping Amadou Onana's effort onto the crossbar.
Gary Neville reacted to the game afterward on Sky Sports, and the Manchester United legend praised both players. He was particularly stunned by Raya's super save:
"The moment of the match was the save from Raya...Trossard has an incredible impact but this is magical. I can’t believe he’s got up – he’s thrown himself into the back of the net."
Villa were unfortunate not to at least get on the scoresheet with their 11 shots. The Gunners got revenge over Unai Emery's men for last season's defeats home and away. Mikel Arteta's side made it two wins out of two thanks to Raya's excellent goalkeeping and Trossard's impact off the bench.
It will be interesting to see whether Trossard starts the game against Brighton. Arteta went with Gabriel Martinelli against Villa, but the Brazilian attacker was overshadowed by his Belgian teammate.