Arsenal vs Leeds: Trossard or Jesus? Pre-game thoughts
With the international break coming to an end, the return of the Premier League, and therefore the mighty Arsenal, is imminent (thank God!). With Gabriel Jesus recently returning from injury with a couple of substitute appearances and a start vs Sporting Lisbon, Mikel Arteta is faced with a very difficult choice in who to start up front against Leeds.
Before his injury at the World Cup, Gabriel Jesus was Arsenal’s most exciting player, and one of the top 3 performers in the team along with Saka and Saliba. Interestingly, his main weakness seemed to be finishing, but everything else he did was superb. On a personal level, I have massively missed Jesus plucking the ball out the air under pressure and then zigging and zagging past two, three or even four opponents, as he seemed to do once a game.
On the other hand, Leandro Trossard has been brilliant since joining in January. Firstly being used as a substitute for Martinelli, he has adapted beautifully to the centre forward position since Nketiah’s injury. He has been playing far more similarly to Jesus than Eddie was, providing for and improving those around him rather than necessarily being on the end of chances himself (that’s not a criticism of Eddie, they’re just a different type of striker, and maybe Eddie is less suited to our current set-up, but that’s a story for another day).
So who to pick? Well, firstly it’s worth pointing out that it’s a brilliant problem to have. Having two such potent options is what we need in order to compete for Prem titles and Champions Leagues and it’ll be a headache Arteta will be ecstatic to have.
Leeds are likely to be without Wilfried Gnonto and Max Wöber who both suffered injuries during the international break (as did Kieran Tierney after a very impressive performance), and are definitely without Tyler Adams. Those three have been some of Leeds’ top performers this season and will be a massive blow for the relegation battle that Leeds find themselves in.
However, Leeds are an intensely energetic team and Arsenal must not underestimate them, even with injuries. As we’ve seen this season, teams seem to show up when playing against Arsenal, giving it their all against the league leaders.
With that in mind, Arteta needs to field his very best 11, especially as City host a Liverpool team that seem to have the tools to defeat City, despite underperforming this season. A win for the Gunners and any sort of Liverpool result will be an insanely big boost, so Arsenal can’t afford to take their foot off the pedal for even an instant.
For me, that means starting Gabriel Jesus. As good as Trossard has been, I think Jesus is a slightly better player and although the Belgian has been fantastic in that position, he is more used to playing on the left.
Those with recency bias will forget how good Jesus was at the beginning of the season, but at one point, the Gunners were absolute flying, playing sexy, flowing football, and Jesus was the talismanic figure at the centre of it all.
The question can be asked as to whether Trossard should start on the left in the place of Martinelli. Again, it’s very close for me, but I think Martinelli is undroppable considering his performances this season, especially if Jesus starts. Having Jesus on the pitch really benefitted Martinelli before the World Cup and it’s time to let that Gabby Gabby connection thrive again.
It is harsh to start Leandro Trossard on the bench, but I think it has to be done in order to start our very strongest team. He can certainly have a big impact from the bench too, and if, God forbid, any injuries happen, he can slip in anywhere in that front line.
The rest of the team sort of picks itself, depending on injuries. Odegaard and Xhaka are certainties for me. If Partey isn’t fit, then we will have to start Jorginho, which wouldn’t be ideal considering the engines that Leeds have in midfield. However, he has shown himself to be a worthy enough replacement, and while Partey would be a lot more reassuring, I wouldn’t be too worried about J20 starting.
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I think Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe still have a considerable role to play this season, but I don’t think either of them warrant a start over Xhaka or Odegaard. Consistency is key and those two have been sensational this season and I don’t see the point of changing a winning team, but Vieira and ESR could be instrumental from the bench, especially as they offer two different profiles to what we have on the pitch.
Then, in defence, Zinchenko, Gabriel and White go without saying, especially as their replacements are injured. Saliba may or may not be injured. If I see his name on the team sheet, I’ll be very, very happy. If not, Rob Holding will have to start. He was decent in Arsenal’s last game, but he is a serious drop off in quality compared to Wilo, and the rest of the team will have to carry him. I think he’s a great professional and an old fashioned centre back, but he doesn’t have the technical security, positional strength or composure and pausa that we need from our centre backs. Of course, Ramsdale in goal.
This game will be extremely important in shaping the narrative of our last ten games (finals). A confident, dominating display will ease nerves but any sort of slip up will be disastrous (although we will probably be able to afford at least one slip up, even if we lose to City). Our game vs Leeds earlier this season was our worst display so far this year in my opinion, with a very uncharacteristic, sloppy display, despite the win.
At the very least, I expect a typical Arsenal performance in this game: controlling the ball, composed in attack and in defence and limiting the opponents to rare chances. Having Premier League winners in the shape of Zinchenko and Jesus will be a massive boost for our inexperienced side and this is a chance to send a clear message to Manchester City. I predict a 3–1 win with some nervy moments but ultimately, a champions display.
Predicted and preferred line up:
GK: Ramsdale
LB: Zinchenko
CB: Gabriel, Holding (Saliba if fit)
RB: White
CM: Partey (Jorginho if Partey not fit), Xhaka, Odegaard
LW: Martinelli
ST: Jesus
RW: Saka
Prediction: 3–1 (Saka, Martinelli x2)
Other good news is that it seems Saka has all but signed a new contract, earning him 15 million a year. He was fantastic for England (shock!), as was Declan Rice, who we need to sign in the summer. Him or Caicedo.
