Arsenal star Leandro Trossard suffered in Belgium’s shock defeat to Slovakia in their opening game at the Euros, and questions are being asked of him.
The 29-year-old was slammed in Belgium after his display, with Trossard being labelled Belgium’s worst player after their defeat despite poor performances from Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne.
Trossard’s was called “disastrous” as Belgium misfired in front of goal. He initially lined up as a left winger, before moving over to the right, but was replaced by Youri Tielemans after a poor display.
Despite enjoying a strong campaign in front of goal for Arsenal, this poor performance on the wings was not a new occurrence for Trossard, and a problem Mikel Arteta faces has now been highlighted.
Arsenal face dilemma over Leandro Trossard
Trossard is a popular figure at the Emirates, and was one of Arteta’s best-value signings given his impact in a short space of time.
However, there have been several occasions this season where Trossard has delivered underwhelming displays on the wing. Arsenal are keen to add pace to their front line, given Trossard’s limitations in this attribute.
Trossard has scored in several big games and key moments, and is proving to be a good big game player. However, his clutchness sometimes masks his inconsistency, and this gives Arteta a headache.
When Trossard starts but underwhelms, the temptation would be to substitute him off, as Belgium did against Slovakia. However, taking him off means losing his potential goal threat in the latter stages of a game.
Leandro Trossard is better as a substitute for Arsenal
Trossard usurped Gabriel Martinelli in the pecking order in the final few weeks of the season, but it would be a surprise to see this continue next season. Arsenal need Martinelli’s pace in transition, and Trossard is too inconsistent when he starts.
When Arsenal need a goal, the Belgian is a fantastic substitute to bring on, but at 29, he may have reached his peak, and he does not offer the same speed that Martinelli does.
His poor performance for Belgium could see him lose his starting spot at the Euros, and fans were quick to point out how this mirrored some of his poor Arsenal displays, where a goal would mask a poor display.
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“Trossard is a manager’s nightmare, his overall game is so mid you wanna hook him at HT but the clutch gene is too strong,” one fan posted on X.
Arteta faces a problem where when he is absent, Trossard’s decisiveness in front of goal is missed, but when he starts and performs poorly, his team’s attacking play suffers as a whole.