Leandro Trossard might be adept with both feet but when it was put to Mikel Arteta that the Belgian rivals his former teammate Santi Cazorla for ambidexterity, the Spaniard couldn’t help but smile.
“I have to see Leo take a corner with his left foot. When he does that then maybe! He’s so good but Santi was something special,” he replied.
Rather than take offence, we suspect Leo will enjoy being mentioned in the same breath as his predecessor.
Now, 38, Cazorla has returned to Spain after three years in Qatar to continue his playing career at boyhood club Real Oviedo in the second tier. It’s scarcely believable given the injuries that nearly forced him to retire while still on the books at Arsenal.
On the subject of being two-footed, it’s clearly something Trossard clearly takes pride in, although at this point in his career (he’s 28 until he turns 29 next week), it also comes as second nature.
“I’ve been practising all my life on it from the age of seven or eight when I started playing football,” he said in today’s pre-Lens press conference.
“My granddad always told me you have to practice both because it will help you a lot and that’s what I did and that’s why I’m so comfortable on both at the moment.
He added: “It’s so hard to defend when you’re both footed. I realised maybe around the age of 16 or 17 when I got really into the first team and realised that I have to be even better at it to up my game. It helped me so much already with the goals that I’ve scored here and it makes me unpredictable.”
In 37 games for the Gunners, Trossard has already produced 19 goal involvements (seven goals and 12 assists) and proved a very useful outlet for Arteta across the frontline and even in midfield.
Asked whether his £27 million represents a bargain, the manager said: “I don’t know about the financial side, I’m not an economist at the club!
“I think he’s a tremendous player, that has great talent and especially great intelligence to play the way we want to play, so he’s a really good fit for us.
“[His versatality] that was one of the main reasons why we signed him; he’s got experience in the league, he’s done what he’s done in the league already, and we had a lot of issues in January in our frontline, and he could cover those necessities in a really efficient way, and he’s proven that he can do all that.”
For his part, Trossard sounds like he’s enjoying life at Arsenal even if at times, he’s had to feed off scraps as a substitute.
“I think when you come to a new club, you have to prove yourself and I think what helped me was that I was important straight away with some assists and a goal and I think that helps you to integrate into a group.
“Obviously the team is so good, we have such good characters here and they all try to help you and settle you in, so that helped the most to be honest.
He added: “I have to be switched on every day, to be honest, but that keeps me on my toes I suppose. That’s the way it goes for me at the moment, I need to bear in mind that I can play in multiple positions and I need to be ready in each one of them. I think I am at the moment and I try to compete and play in the best possible way.”
I won’t say he’s been struggling with corners of late with either feet…
I remember with Santi, there were actual arguments over whether he was left-footed or right-footed. You really couldn’t tell. The moment I remember most though, the free kick that brought us back into the game in the final against Hull, was definitely right-footed.
Ooooooh Santi Carzoooooolaaaaaa
oooooo leandro trossaaard
leandro’s amazing…his numbers are eerily similar to cazorla’s…i think cazorla was in a category of his own…so technically gifted…could score freekicks…could carry the ball and split an atom while dribbling
Hahahahaha. Newcastle robbed by a harsh handball call and the pundits losing their heads. Where was that energy when Joelington not only fouled Gabriel but the ball clearly came off his hands, the only offense that VAR clearly ignored checking 😄
Fuck poor plucky Newcastle. Their fans are worse than spurs fans and the pundits who fawn over them are probably paid to do so by the saudi regime. Clearly psg paid the ref moor tonight
You should have seen Ally McCoist and Jermain Jenas on the field post match. I know it’s the champions league but surely they are going to hear from the FA any minute now. Even Arteta and De Zerbi must have been in awe of Jenas “f**k VAR” superlatives
Jermain Penas!
Yeh funny how Ally was saying what a top ref he is when Gordon’s challenge wasn’t given then imploded on him when the pen was, nice also to see the cheeky smile Howe had when explaining their ‘goal’ against us wiped from his mug, what comes around mate… not sympathetic to either of the camel munchers but thought PSG fans was were very good last night..
Like Oscar Wilde said: “You’d have to have a heart of stone not to laugh!”
Stick that up your Geordie arses!!
BTW: Get rid of VAR now!! It’s ruining football!!
Incompetemce, corruption and PGMOL are ruining football, not VAR.
No!
Refs have always been shit and useless! VAR has simply magnified their incompetence.
We can take if the ref only has one look – and that was their get-out clause in the old days – but now they are being totally shown up for what they are: utterly hopeless. They don’t even know the rules!!!
Unbelievable!!!
Just because things have always been shit doesn’t mean they cannot improve, fats. You should try to be optimistic about the future, even if the worst people in the world are ruining the present.
No!
VAR has highlighted that level of incompetence that has being going for years. Its how they react, that matters.
They are still in the denial phase, so if they keep getting shown up as the charlatans they have become, the pressure keeps increasing to get off their collective arses and do something.
Getting rid of VAR just because it highlights just how many incompetents are nicking a living at the highest level is like the luddites who prefer the dark ages.
Well said blessed car sunshine!
I can definitely live with VAR (or anything or anyone) shafting those barcode-clad orcs.
I saw Santi on the Champions League show last week. Top man, and it’s obvious that he wants to return, even if it’s just to say a proper goodbye
If I was a player and anyone compared me to Santi in pretty much any way I’d be stoked.
You could be as short as Santi
Clearly clearly.
So much fun hearing Allan Shearer talking about disgrace, hahahahahahaha.
Not so much fun when its the other way, eh?
Absolut twat, yes, comparing with Santi is big boots to fill. But yeah, Leos done well. Although Santi was something extra. We didnt need Ozil, we had Santi and Ozil was just luxury. When we in fact needed a cmf. Yeah, water under the bridges.
I’m a huge Santi fan. But I do distinctly remember that, after his fantastic first season there was this expectation that he was gonna kick on into an “elite” player, and there was a slight sense of disappointment when he didn’t. I think that was one of the factors behind signing ozil, Wilsheres injuries probably were a factor too. Although the rumor was that we were initially going for higuain that summer.
Not a rumor. We did bid for Higuain but was deemed to expensive before we bid even more for Ozil.
And wedged right in the middle of those 2 bids was the infamous 40m + 1 pound for Suarez.
Wengernomics
Santi was something special.
I remember a game (can’t recall the opponent) when he stood over a corner kick, poised to take it with his right foot. The corner was delayed due to shenanigans in the box and when it was time to take it, Santi changed his mind, decided to use his left foot and just rotated casually to the other side of the flag to align his body properly. Madness.
Yes! And didn’t Per actually bark out instructions to Santi to switch sides on that corner? Once in a lifetime player – not just Trossard, there is literally nobody else, ever, who played like him.
I love Trossard!
Never stops running, never stops battling, never gives up, reminds me of Rosicky the way he tries to take the game forward all the time either by dribble or pass. And isn’t shy to shoot.
Good decision making makes him invaluable to this squad when it comes to game state. That’s why even as a sub he is so effective