Theo Walcott has hinted that one Arsenal sent a clear message to Mikel Arteta after his ‘fantastic’ performance against Wolves.
The north London side finally returned to winning ways this Saturday having failed to beat Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League as well as losing to Aston Villa last weekend at the Emirates Stadium, a result that took Manchester City top of the Premier League.
With the pressure on, Arsenal delivered last night at Molineux against Wolves, with Sky Sports commentator Alan Smith impressed with the likes of Ben White in what was a professional win for the Gunners away from the English capital.
And Walcott believes one Arsenal player sent an important message to Arteta with his performance.
Leandro Trossard sent starting XI plea ‘fantastic’ Arsenal display vs Wolves
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Arsenal forward was full of praise for Leandro Trossard after the Belgian international scored another crucial goal for the Gunners in a must-win game, with Walcott claiming the winger sent a message to start more often.
Trossard’s best performances for Arsenal have been when the attacker has come off the bench, yet for Walcott, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star sent a message to Arteta on why he should be in the starting XI more often.
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Walcott said about Trossard’s role in the Arsenal squad: “I feel like he is a player that you can rely on. That’s why he is always the go-to for Mikel if, for instance, if he is on the bench, he is the go-to player and he makes the difference.
“But he doesn’t want to be the go-to player. He wants to be the starting man, big goals in big games, and he is well-trusted in that environment, and for me, he is fantastic.”
Trossard’s status as Arsenal super-sub is already perfect
It might be a label few top forwards ever want hanging over their head, but Trossard becoming Arsenal’s impact player from the bench is something that the Belgian should relish in.
After all, the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson have failed to claim such titles for themselves, something that could have made the Hale End academy graduates more valuable members of Arteta’s current team.
Yet for Trossard, having such a label has made the 29-year-old one of Arsenal’s most important players, and someone Arteta can now clearly trust when the going gets tough for the north London side.