Arsenal made it successive victories in the Premier League after securing a dogged three points against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium today, diverging from the recent wobble which threatened to derail their title charge.

It was a vintage display of grit and verve from Mikel Arteta’s men, and it stretched the advantage over second-placed Manchester City to five points prior to their clash at Bournemouth this evening.

Gabriel Martinelli, who Football FanCast predicted could have a telling impact on the game, scored the solitary goal after a well-worked move and some scintillating build-up play from Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian was signed for £27m last month from Brighton & Hove Albion to bolster the offensive ranks and provide some respite from the lofty goal contribution workload that Martinelli and Bukayo Saka have burdened for much of the campaign.

Once again Trossard popped up with the goods, creating the goal shortly after half-time and painstakingly seeing his emphatic first-half strike ruled out due to an infringement in the build-up from Ben White.

Was Trossard Arsenal’s real hero today?

While Martinelli will earn the headlines for finishing the move, it was Trossard’s “absolute filth” of a nutmeg – as lauded by Alistair Coleman – leading to the pass which was the most impressive aspect of the decisive goal.

Given that his previous key moment – seeing his goal ruled out – was the Gunners’ only other strike to bulge the back of the net, the 28-year-old’s impact on this title-chasing team may be surpassing the expectations of even Arteta and co.

The “incredible” assist was a “beauty“, in the words of The Athletic’s Bob Sturm. It was Trossard’s fourth of the campaign and the first for Arsenal, with eight goals from just 18 Premier League starts to match, and he certainly appears to be the perfect figure to elevate the Gunners’ collective attacking drive.

As per Sofascore, no player on the pitch surpassed the 24-cap Belgian’s 7.5, with his assist complemented by a 100% dribble success rate, along with winning one tackle and seven of his 11 ground duels, illustrating the robust and vibrant presence that he injected into the fold today.

According to analyst Statman Dave, who dubbed him “effective“, the 28-year-old now has four goals and two assists from his appearances as a false nine this season. That bodes well for his future inclusion in the absence of the brilliantly dynamic Gabriel Jesus, who is still sidelined after injuring his knee at the 2022 World Cup with Brazil.

While the title race is far from over, the signing of Trossard appears to have been a shrewd and prudent move indeed, especially given that Arsenal were in pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk, who was swiped from under their noses by Chelsea at the 11th hour. The £88.5m Ukrainian is yet to register a direct contribution from five outings for the Blues.

Arsenal needed immediate firepower, and that’s what they have received from Trossard. After plying his trade impressively with the Seagulls, the £40k-per-week ace now looks set to play a big part in his new team’s surge towards potential Premier League glory; and with more performances like his display against the Foxes, such silverware might just be procured.

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