“His performance was nothing short of spectacular.” He won 14 duels and was all over the field; he deserves more praise.”- Arsenal legend Patrick Vierra was full of praise for Arsenal’s fantastic player who was better than Trossard–not Saka, Martinelli, or Saliba.
Arsenal’s “everywhere” player against Burnley was superior to Trossard.
Mikel Arteta’s side advanced to second place in the Premier League after defeating tenacious Burnley.
Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a tenacious performance against Burnley at the Emirates Stadium, becoming 3-1 winners despite the visitors’ spirited efforts.
After losing to Newcastle United on Tyneside last week, Arsenal earned three points today with to goals from Leandro Trossard, William Saliba, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, bringing them level on points with league leaders Manchester City, who face Chelsea tomorrow.
In the absence of Gabriel Jesus, who has now missed the last three Premier League games due to a hamstring injury, Eddie Nketiah had deputized up front, but he was replaced today after his “anonymous” presence against the Magpies, with Trossard given the nod instead.
The performance of Leandro Trossard against Burnley
Trossard’s dynamism was essential in breaking down a disciplined Burnley backline, which stopped much of Arsenal’s attacking forays in the first half before the Belgian struck the back of the net just before halftime.
Trossard added to his strike with a wonderful assist before the hour mark when his looping corner found Saliba’s head. He now has six goals and two assists from only seven starting appearances across all competitions this season.
According to Sofascore, the 28-year-old also hit the crossbar, had 51 touches, completed 79% of his passes, made two vital passes, and won four duels.
Football.london’s Arsenal correspondent Kaya Kaynak gave the star an 8/10 in his post-match player evaluations, writing: ‘Seems to draw the best out of those around him when he plays up top. Martinelli is more at ease, and his connection with Saka is excellent. Today brings another goal and an assist.’
It was a fantastic performance, but not the greatest of Arteta’s guys on the night; that honor belongs to Zinchenko, who was outstanding in his all-around work for the home side.
Stats for Oleksandr Zinchenko vs. Burnley
The Ukrainian star joined Arsenal from Manchester City in a £32 million deal last year, and while he hasn’t always been fit, he has been crucial to many of the club’s triumphs.
While the win over the Clarets was not a signature performance, it demonstrated Arsenal’s capacity to get the job done, and Zinchenko was the veritable engine powering the entire affair.
Described as “everywhere today” by Gunners writer Connor Humm, the £150k-per-week left-back produced a superb goal to seal the win after Saliba restored the advantage in the second half.
But his heroics were much more than just his goal-scoring contribution, as he took 116 touches, completed 87% of his passes, won 14 duels, placed two critical passes, succeeded with all seven of his long ball attempts, and made five tackles.
Kaynak lavished praise on Trossard and Zinchenko, saying, ‘One wonderful flick to clear space for Bukayo Saka in the first half. Arsenal’s third goal was scored with equally great precision.’
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