Mikel Arteta says Leandro Trossard was forbidden to leave Arsenal this summer, with that decision now clearly paying dividends for the club.
Though hat-trick hero Eberechi Eze understandably stole the headlines, Leandro Trossard was also one of the stars of Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Trossard caused problems throughout the match, and he opened the scoring on the night with a clever run in behind and a spinning shot on his weak foot.
The winger later set up Eze’s third goal to kill the contest, before being replaced by injury returner Noni Madueke.
Yet perhaps in another world things could have been different, with plenty of transfer rumours linking Trossard with a move away over the summer.
It seems Mikel Arteta was one of the driving forces behind ensuring such a transfer didn’t come to fruition, telling his post-Spurs press conference that Trossard’s exit was completely off the table for him.
“For me, it was forbidden for him to leave,” Arteta said. “No chance. I know the player that he is, and surrounded with the players that we have, he’s a player that is going to make a difference for us.
“I fully agree, it was one of the best games, so aggressive with and without the ball, so effective, he could have scored another one or two goals, and he was involved in so many positive actions. So that’s what we need.”
Arsenal actually ended up giving Trossard a pay rise, which didn’t go down too well with the fans at the time. But it’s turned out to be a stroke of genius, with Trossard’s five goals and five assists putting him top of the club’s charts for goal contributions this season.
That’s included some significant moments over the last month or so, like the winning goal against Fulham, giving Arsenal the lead against Sunderland, and then opening the scoring against Spurs.
The one game Arsenal have lost this season was a rare occasion on which Trossard wasn’t involved, sitting on the bench throughout the 1-0 defeat at Anfield.
If Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table right now, Trossard’s efforts in helping them get there shouldn’t be downplayed.