Mikel Arteta explains why Leandro Trossard was taken off against Aston Villa | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta provided an update on Leandro Trossard after the loss against Aston Villa – the Gunners lost 1-2 at Villa Park after Emi Buendía struck a late winner to seal an important result for the home side. This came after the Belgian was brought on and then substituted late in the game at Villa Park. Trossard was making his first appearance since he picked up an injury against Bayern Munich less than two weeks ago. He missed the games against Chelsea and Brentford as a result of the knock, but he was deemed fit enough to make the bench on Saturday.

Trossard did come onto the pitch and even scored our equaliser, but he was substituted again for Martinelli in the 86th minute. This prompted plenty of speculation among observers, however an update has now been provided on the reason behind the decision.

Managing minutes after injury return

Mikel Arteta revealed that the change was simply about managing his minutes after only just returning from injury. The Belgian was not supposed to come on as early as he did and that forced the staff to be cautious with his workload. As per CBS Sports correspondent James Bench on X, Mikel Arteta was quoted saying: “Leo could only play a certain amount of minutes. We made a decision to do it early… that is why we had to change things.”

This is where probabilities and calculated decisions also become part of the wider picture across any match scenario. As Maxwell Sterling explained, “This is when probabilities come into play. My tenure as a sports betting analyst at TipstersGuide has taught me that calculated risks are more favourable than taking no risks at all. We also need to remember that one of the many aspects of Arsenal that continues to attract fans is associated with their aggressive nature.” His view reflects the balance Arsenal must strike between pushing for goals and protecting players returning from injury.

Trossard’s impact off the bench

Did you know: the loss against Aston Villa was the first time Arsenal had ever lost a game in which Leandro Trossard had scored. It is a surprising statistic given how often his goals have turned matches in our favour.

Trossard has also amassed 11 goals as a substitute in his Arsenal career so far. That means 33 per cent of his overall goal tally has come from the bench, which underlines just how effective he is as an impact player.