Leandro Trossard and the Catfish Effect | OneFootball

There is an old story in China that comes from a fishing practice. When sardines were moved in tanks, the water would grow too still and the fish would not last the journey. Fishermen learned that placing one catfish in the tank made the environment slightly hostile, just enough to keep the sardines alert and moving. That small change helped them adapt and reach the end of the trip. Arsenal’s summer in 2025 carried a similar feeling. Several new attacking players arrived, and what looked like a year where Leandro Trossard might be moved on changed course. He stayed, signed a new contract, and is now playing some of his best football.

Trossard’s Quiet Consistency

Across the last few seasons, Trossard has carried a consistency that often goes unnoticed. He has never been the most glamorous name in Arsenal’s attack, yet his numbers have quietly placed him among their most reliable contributors. Since his debut, only one player in the squad has produced non-penalty goals and assists at a better rate, with Trossard averaging 0.67 per 90, according to Opta Analyst. He also ranks 14th in the league in that period, with 43 contributions to his name. It is the kind of return that rarely draws noise, but it has kept him in the thick of Arsenal’s best moments. Supporters have spent summers debating the need for a new winger, yet Trossard has continued to offer what he always has: a steady presence, a sharp touch, and an ability to conjure things when the team needs him.

Trossard ranks 14th in the league for NP G/A since he joined Arsenal. Source: Opta

Why Flexibility Has Become His Edge

If we look at the present, part of Trossard’s rise this season comes from his flexibility. It has given Arteta a player who can move into almost any space the game opens, and that mobility shows up in the numbers. He is second in the league for average touches in the final third with 2.72, which reflects how often he arrives in useful areas. That awareness has also shaped his partnership with Calafiori. They read each other with a near telepathic ease. When Calafiori steps inside, Trossard shifts. When Trossard drifts wide or drops deeper, Calafiori fills. The Sunderland match showed it well. Faced with a tight block and two defenders in front of him, Trossard slipped a pass through a pair of legs into Calafiori’s run, a run he could not have fully seen. His touch map below captures this ability to appear across different pockets.

Trossard’s touch map this season shows how naturally he moves across the pitch. Source: The Analyst

The Other Side of His Game

There is another reason behind Trossard’s run of games this season, and it lies on the other side of the ball. Arteta has always valued discipline without possession, and it is often the detail that decides who plays. Martinelli earned many starts in the past because he tracked runners, pressed with intensity, and held his ground in deeper zones. The arrivals of Eze and Madueke added more options who could offer that same work. Trossard has matched that standard this season and at times even pushed past it. He has pressed with intention, closed spaces quickly, and shown a willingness to recover into deeper lines when the team needs it. His contribution in these moments has been as important as anything he does in the final third. Take a look at the image below to see how he played his part against Bayern Munich.

An example of how he drops deep to keep Arsenal organised and connected.

Trossard’s season has been shaped by more than numbers or positions on a pitch. It has come from a player responding to the environment around him. Arsenal’s attack is deeper now, filled with new profiles and new demands, and instead of slipping out of the picture he has moved with it. His finishing has stayed sharp, his movement has widened, and his work without the ball has reached a level that matches the trust he has been given. In many ways, the squad around him has created the same effect as the old story from China. A livelier, more competitive space has kept him alert and evolving. The catfish has made the tank more demanding, and Trossard has responded by swimming stronger than ever.