"He knows exactly what’s needed" - Ian Wright hails Arsenal attacker as a 'blessing' after 3-0 Fulham win
Arsenal legend Ian Wright hailed Leandro Trossard for the Belgian's performance against Fulham on Sunday (March 12). Trossard bagged a hat-trick of assists in the first half during the 3-0 win. Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard got on the scoresheet for Mikel Arteta's team.
Trossard has just returned from a groin injury. The January signing made a massive impact against the Cottagers as Marco Silva's side was left bamboozled by the former Brighton & Hove Albion man.
Wright lauded Trossard's performance, telling Premier League Productions (via HITC):
“Since he has come, he has contributed right from the off, They couldn’t get near him, in his movement, whether he came in from the left or he came from the centre. He can get himself in this position (goalscoring positions) and not panic. When you consider the signings we were trying to make and we ended up getting someone like Trossard, it was a blessing. He has come into the team, and he has hit the ground running."
Further speaking about Trossard's impact since his January move, Wright said:
“When you have a player of that calibre, who is a very, very good player. He has just come in, and the reason why he has hit the ground running is because he is up to speed with the Premier League. He knows exactly what’s needed."
He also termed the 28-year-old's signing as 'invaluable':
“To get a signing like that, who can come in and be up to speed, it’s invaluable to us. He is showing that, from the first game until now. He has been an unbelievable addition to the squad.”
Trossard has now scored one goal and provided three assists in ten games across competitions for Arsenal. He became the first player in the long history of the Premier League to bag a hat-trick of assists in the first half of a game.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hails Leandro Trossard's performance
Leandro Trossard is the man of the hour. He came into the Arsenal team with ample Premier League experience behind him. Trossard, in fact, scored a hat-trick against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season.
When quizzed about whether Trossard's before experience in the league has helped him fit seamlessly into the team, Mikel Arteta said (via the Gunners' website):
"It's football intelligence, he’s really clever to understand straightaway what you want, what is required, what is his role, and he’s executing it really well."
Arsenal will play Sporting CP in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 next on March 16. The first leg between the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw in Portugal.