Football 
Horse Racing 
Mixed martial arts Silvestre: Trossard Signing a “Perfect Decision” for Arsenal
With Arsenal eight points ahead of Manchester City as the international break has come in, we sat down with ex-Gunner, Mikael Silvestre to discuss the performance of Arsenal’s attacking players and what the return of Gabriel Jesus brings.
The former French international spoke about Martin Ødegaard’s impressive form, Leandro Trossard’s impact as well as the rotation up front.
In this article:
- Ødegaard has taken charge as a leader and is very influential
- Trossard isn’t the ‘signing of the season’ but he’s been value for money
- No assurances that Gabriel Jesus will come straight back into the XI
- Tricky for defenders to stop Gabriel Martinelli
Ødegaard has taken charge as a leader and is very influential
It’s no secret that Silvestre is a fan of Martin Ødegaard and had tried to sign him on loan when he was the sporting director at Rennes.
The Frenchman reiterated his appreciation for the Norwegian midfielder and also explained how he’s seen Ødegaard become a responsible captain.
“Martin Ødegaard has been very impressive. I’m a fan of his.”
“Tried to bring him on loan at Rennes from Real Madrid. I’ve known him for some time and I’ve followed his steps.”
“When he was given the armband, I thought it was a very good move because he would be the technical leader and also his voice now is heard more. He’s taking charge as a leader and he’s been very influential.”
“He’s been on top form and as long as he’s playing, Arsenal every time have a chance to come back into the game, if they are behind or struggling a bit.”
Trossard isn’t the ‘signing of the season’ but he’s been value for money
With Leandro Trossard settling in seamlessly and also getting six assists and a goal for the Gunners, many have hailed him as the signing of the season.
While Silvestre didn’t agree with that moniker he said that Trossard has been a great value for money signing and he’s been a perfect fit for Arsenal.
“No, because it’s half a season.”
“But it’s a good move for Arsenal and value for money.”
“He fits into the style of play so it’s a perfect decision from Arsenal so far.”
“It was late in the window but it was worth it.”
No assurances that Gabriel Jesus will come straight back into the XI
While Arsenal have been dealt a blow with injuries to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu, a key figure in the form of Gabriel Jesus has returned to the fore.
The Brazilian was very important for the Gunners in the first half of the season but now with Trossard’s great form, Silvestre doesn’t believe that the former Man City man will easily walk into the starting XI but thinks that he will grab on the opportunities and slowly become a starter again.
“Because the team is playing so well there are no assurances that Jesus will come straight back into the team.”
“With the amount of games Arsenal are playing Jesus will need to grab the opportunity when it is given to him.”
“He will make that position his own again at some point.”
Silvestre also stressed on the importance of the team being united at this stage as he doesn’t expect Arteta to rotate his XI too much.
“We are heading towards the end of the season and there aren’t many games left.”
“There will be frustrated players but they need to remain focused and concentrated because the team objective is bigger than any individuals.”
Tricky for defenders to stop Gabriel Martinelli
Silvestre then was all praise for in-form forward, Gabriel Martinelli.
He compared the Brazilian’s situation to that of William Saliba, mentioning how they had a slight drop in form but then recovered.
Silvestre also explained how Martinelli’s movement makes him extremely tricky to deal with for defenders.
“Martinelli burst onto the scene this season and was very impressive.”
“He’s had a couple of difficult seasons with injuries and he was in and out of the team.”
“This season he’s been in top form from the beginning. Like Saliba he had a dip in form but he’s a real threat.”
“For defenders to stop him, it’s tricky because he’s extremely fast and he reads the game very well.”
“He’s always close to being offside but never gets caught. He’s hard to stop in 1v1s and he’s scoring goals more and more.”
