Trossard unblocks Arsenal as Raya works miracles in victory over Aston Villa
The match was tight and scrappy early on, with Villa putting up a strong fight as expected.
Ollie Watkins, who was prolific last season, struggled to convert his chances, most notably missing a point-blank header that Raya miraculously saved.
Villa had the better of the first half, with Emiliano Martínez denying Bukayo Saka with a superb save. However, Watkins’ poor finishing let the hosts down, squandering what should have been a comfortable lead.
As the game progressed, Mikel Arteta turned to his bench, introducing Trossard for the out-of-sorts Gabriel Martinelli. Trossard’s impact was immediate, scoring with his first touch in the 67th minute after some smart interplay, breaking the deadlock in a match that was finely poised.
With Villa now chasing the game, Arsenal took advantage.
As Villa pushed forward, they left themselves exposed, and Thomas Partey doubled Arsenal’s lead in the 77th minute, slotting home after a well-placed pass from Saka which Martinez should have done better with.
Villa’s late efforts to salvage something were thwarted by Arsenal’s solid defensive unit, particularly William Saliba, who blocked a dangerous effort from Jacob Ramsey late on with a superb recovery challenge.
The win, hard-earned against a resilient Villa side who cost Arsenal so much last season, showed the Gunners’ title credentials as they ground out a result in a challenging away fixture.
After the game, Mikel Arteta spoke about the inspired Trossard substitution, saying, “Well, we had to change the momentum of the game. We had 10 to 12 minutes that we suffered in the second half and we had to change something.
“And Leo’s got the ability to change the game. His end product is unbelievable. I think he had two shots, two great balls in the box. That could have been another goal or two. So that’s what you need. When it’s not enough with the start, there’s someone that has to come in and do the job.”
Villa, who altered their style to try and combat Arsenal, caught Arteta by surprise. As he told Sky Sports, “They were a little bit different to what they’ve been doing especially at home, but that’s it.
“We have to adapt. We’re going to have to play a lot of games like that. Their holding midfielder had a very specific behaviour with our attacking midfielders as well.
“We had to find something else and the moment we understood the game we created more and more problems. And credit to them, they are a great side, they are really well coached and it’s a very difficult place to come and win.”
In the end, it was not the greatest Arsenal performance we are likely to see this season but they left a ground that had bested them last season with all three points and another cleansheet.
The impact of the win, however, is likely to be even greater on the side’s confidence than just the points gained.
