How often Arsenal can rely on Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz to keep conjuring up the chances and goals to stay in the conversation for trophies remains to be seen. It worked well enough last season, as amassing 89 points is no mean feat, but with Gabriel Jesus sidelined with a groin injury and Eddie Nketiah on the verge of a £30m move to Nottingham Forest, it took yet another decisive contribution from Leandro Trossard as a substitute to set up last season’s Premier League runners-up for victory over Aston Villa.
How long Mikel Arteta can keep Trossard happy was a question brewing after viewing the Belgian’s muted response to scoring with his first touch after coming on in the second half. But the Arsenal manager rebuffed any such problem. “When you don’t get picked, there are certain ways to react,” Arteta said. “Leo is upset, but he is upset and shows on the pitch how good he is – not upset and come in and react badly. That is a huge quality.
