Trossard on a mission to show Arteta he can fill Saka’s boots at Arsenal
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The winger, who is described by his manager as ‘a bit of a moaner’, is likely to relish the chance to show he can be a regular starter. In the manager-praises-own-player stakes, it is not perhaps what might be expected. “Yeah, Leo naturally is a bit of a moaner,” Mikel Arteta says, as he considers Arsenal’s New Year’s Day game at Brentford and how Leandro Trossard stands to have an impact on it.
![[David Hytner]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2018/01/10/David_Hytner,_L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Everyone at Arsenal knew what Arteta means. We have all got a mate like Trossard, always grumbling and not always about the big things. It is how they are, piping up about this and that; the price of a pint, the weather, how long it takes to get something done, people’s foibles. It does not make you dislike them or love them any less.
![[Mikel Arteta embraces Leandro Trossard]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8f8daf6185b56f710c1171ecfc2fcb5804361874/0_121_2300_1380/master/2300.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
With Trossard, who has been in and out of Arteta’s Premier League lineup since his move from Brighton in January 2023 – 39 starts, 33 appearances as a substitute – it is tempting to imagine how he is when he is out. Remember the beginning of the season? Trossard was plainly upset to have been on the bench for the first two games against Wolves and Aston Villa, having finished the previous campaign strongly – as a starter, ahead of Gabriel Martinelli. Now Arteta preferred Martinelli. When Trossard came on for him at Villa in the 65th minute and scored almost immediately for 1-0, he did not celebrate. The subtext was clear.
Arteta loved it. This is the kind of reaction he wants from his players and the thing to say about Trossard is that he can be unhappy when he is out of the team and still a part of the overall chemistry. His good sense of humour makes him popular. His direct nature is a positive.
