“When he came in he was unbelievable” : Mikel Arteta lavishes praise on Arsenal forward’s performance at Villa Park

In all the top flight leagues, squad depth for a club may well be the most essential thing to bring home the league title. Due to the season being very long, players get injured more often than not. Fortunately for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, that is one thing they need not worry about.

The Gunners defeated Aston Villa at their home 2-0, thanks to Leandro Trossard’s spectacular performance off the bench. The Belgian scored minutes after coming on and was the heart of the attack throughout the second half. Thomas Partey gave Arsenal their second goal leading to a fantastic result for the North London club in their quest to clinch the league title this season.

The Spainard was delighted by the 29-year-old winger’s performance and was all praises for him post-match. He also suggested that the Belgian is an example for the rest of the team and that more players with this kind of mentality are needed in the sport.

“The competition is big, we have great players in each position and they are gonna have to accept that. We have a huge season ahead of us and you need players to impact. He did last year when he started, when he was a sub today he did that, he gave us a headache now for the weekend,” said the 42-year-old (via Sky Sports).

Mikel Arteta reveals that Leandro Trossard was upset after the match

Scoring minutes after coming on, the Belgian had somewhat of a nonchalant reaction which led to fans debating and having mixed opinions about it. Some thought it was Trossard’s way of having a ‘cold’ celebration while others hinted that the Belgian reacted this way to give his coach a sign that he should be in the starting lineup. When asked about the celebration, the 29-year-old indirectly confirmed his wish to be a starter.

“Everyone wants to start and play games, it’s nice to help the team and score goals. There are so many emotions. When you score, it’s like you don’t know what is happening,” said the super-sub.

Mikel Arteta also spoke about this and confirmed that the Belgian was visibly upset, but not necessarily for reasons fans and media are thinking about.

“When you don’t get picked there are certain ways to react, for Leo, he is upset, he is upset to show on the pitch how good he is. Not upset because he is not playing. And that is a huge quality. When you put him in the starting XI he does the exact same thing and that is a big example for the rest of the team. When he came in he was unbelievable. That is what we need,” said the Gunners manager.

The Gunners’ next challenge will be facing an unbeaten Brighton side, which also happens to be Leandro Trossard’s former club. The Belgian will more than likely receive the chance (or even get to start) against his ex-team and show Mikel Arteta that he is capable of being a bona fide starter for the team.

Also Read: “It’s one of the toughest places to go” : Mikel Arteta speaks ahead of tricky trip to Villa Park