Arsenal: Arteta admits Arsenal could dip back in market after Jurrien Timber injury
Arsenal defeated Luton in a friendly on Thursday as Leandro Trossard starred despite being used sparingly by Mikel Arteta to begin the new season. The Gunners organised a behind-closed-doors match with Rob Edwards’ outfit, who are based near their training ground London Colney, as preparations for the campaign were stepped up and some players received valuable minutes.
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As details continue to spill out of the secret friendly, it has emerged that Trossard scored twice against Luton according to The Telegraph as he sent Arteta a message outlining what he is capable of against top-flight opponents. The Belgian did not start either the Community Shield victory or their opening Premier League match of the season for Arsenal, despite first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus being sidelined through injury.
Trossard shone in his first few months as an Arsenal player leading the line, often linking up well with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. However, Kai Havertz started up front in the season’s curtain-raiser against Manchester City, before the former Chelsea star was moved back into midfield against Nottingham Forest while Eddie Nketiah was given the nod ahead of Trossard.
He came off the bench in both games, scoring the equaliser late in the Community Shield, clearly in Arteta’s thoughts ahead of the upcoming trip to Crystal Palace on Monday. Whether his performance is enough to force Arteta into starting the former Brighton man at Selhurst Park remains to be seen, but he has stated his case to the coaching staff watching on.
Saka also scored while the club’s newest signing David Raya played an hour and did not concede, another positive for Arteta as he continues to prepare his side for a long season. There were returns for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Reiss Nelson also, who both had disrupted pre-seasons owing to injuries.
Trossard will hope that his performance further proves to Arteta that he can be trusted with a start against Palace, as he looks to further himself in the boss’ thinking. The Spanish coach clearly rates his forward’s abilities, however, speaking glowingly about the 28-year-old after a friendly win over Barcelona last month.
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Arsenal’s new kit for 2023/2024 is a stylish twist on a classic as it reinvents that mid-1990s vibe. A truly modern-looking shirt with a homage to the past, the Nike kit also includes a nod to the club’s iconic Invincible’s side in the finer details while catching the eye with the lightning bolt motif
"He’s been working so hard and came in a really good condition for pre-season,” Arteta said regarding Trossard. "He gives us something very different to the other wingers we have and he has got incredible versatility and unpredictability to play in different positions too. It will be good for his confidence, for sure."
While Raya getting up to speed will further pile the pressure on current number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, as Arteta has stressed the need for two stoppers of equal quality. After confirming Raya’s loan, Arteta said: “You need to be prepared because the question will be ‘what is it, two goalkeepers of this size?’
“And if Aaron was to sustain a cruciate injury, then what do you say? You then change everything. So, we have to be prepared, we have to be proactive, and we have two excellent goalkeepers now that fit exactly what we want in our model, so I’m very happy with that.”
