Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli received special praise from Arsenal fans after they combined brilliantly in their team’s 1-0 win against Leicester City earlier today (25 February).
The Belgium international, who arrived at the Emirates last month from Brighton & Hove Albion, was handed just his second league start for his new club. He thought he had put his team 1-0 ahead before the half-hour mark with a beautifully hit long-range shot.
However, VAR ruled out the goal due to a foul from the Gunners inside the box. Trossard, nevertheless, made his presence count early in the second half when he assisted Martinelli.
The Belgian forward showed some neat footwork down the left-hand side and played a neat ball to put the Brazil international through on goal. Martinelli made no mistake and scored the only goal of the game.
Trossard’s inclusion in the starting XI came at the expense of Eddie Nketiah. In Gabriel Jesus’ absence, the English striker scored four goals in Arsenal’s first five league games after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
However, he hasn’t scored in his past five Premier League appearances for the Gunners. Some fans noted that Trossard’s link-up play with Martinelli had more finesse and replicated the connection the latter shared with Jesus on the pitch.
Nketiah is an out-and-out goal-scorer who isn’t the neatest dribbler out there. Trossard, in comparison, seems to be a player who can create as well as score chances in the final third.
His close control and dribbling ability also make him a handful for opposition defenders. Here are some of the best reactions from Arsenal fans after they witnessed Martinelli and Trossard fire their team to an important league win:
Arsenal star urges teammates to treat every game like a final this season
Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli helped his team temporarily increase their lead at the top of the league table to five points.
Even if Manchester City shave the gap down to two points by beating Nottingham Forest today (25 February), Arsenal will still have a game in hand. The north London giants are closer than ever to winning their first league title since 2004.
Martinelli has urged his teammates to treat every remaining game this season like it is a final. Speaking after the win at the King Power Stadium, the 21-year-old said (h/t @FootballDaily):
“I think we need to go into every single game thinking it’s a final.”
Manager Mikel Arteta could still guide the Gunners to an actual final this season. They are set to face Sporting CP in a two-legged UEFA Europa League round-of-16 tie in March.