How often can rely on and to keep conjuring up the chances and goals to stay in the conversation for trophies remains to be seen. It worked well enough last season, as amassing 89 points is no mean feat, but with sidelined with a groin injury and on the verge of a £30m move to , it took yet another from Leandro Trossard as a substitute to set up last season’s Premier League runners-up for victory over Aston Villa. How long Mikel Arteta can keep Trossard happy was a question brewing after viewing the Belgian’s muted response to scoring with his first touch after coming on in the second half.
But the Arsenal manager rebuffed any such problem. “When you don’t get picked, there are certain ways to react,” Arteta said. “Leo is upset, but he is upset and shows on the pitch how good he is – not upset and come in and react badly.
That is a huge quality. “Then, when you put him in the starting lineup, he does exactly the same thing. That is a big message and a big example for the rest of the team and myself.
” Having a player with the finesse of Havertz, signed as an advanced midfield player, as your attacking pivot aids the aesthetics of dominating possession but surely Arsenal cannot continue to expect Trossard to keep coming off the bench to score this many crucial goals. Despite starting only 18 Premier League games in his first full season at Arsenal, the Belgian was only behind Saka (16) and Havertz (13) in the scoring charts, with 12 goals in the Premier Leagu.