Premier League legends Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott have openly confessed to underestimating Leandro Trossard’s impact at Arsenal this season. The Belgian international delivered another commanding performance during Arsenal’s 3-1 triumph over Inter Milan at the San Siro, a result that preserved the Gunners’ flawless Champions League record.
A strike from Gabriel Jesus helped secure the victory, ensuring Mikel Arteta’s squad finishes in the top two of the league phase. Trossard’s recent surge in form effectively silences summer speculation regarding his potential departure from the Emirates Stadium.
Theo Walcott noted that the winger’s consistency has fundamentally changed his perspective on Arsenal’s attacking depth. He admitted that he previously viewed Trossard as a replaceable asset but now sees him as a unique tactical tool that offers something different from the raw pace of Gabriel Martinelli. Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney echoed these sentiments, highlighting Trossard’s versatility and his ability to operate effectively in central “number ten” roles. Arsenal further demonstrated their formidable bench strength in Milan as high-profile stars like Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyökeres appeared as second-half substitutes to see out the win.
Walcott shared his revised opinion on Amazon Prime: “There were rumors about Leandro Trossard and Martinelli possibly leaving the team. That was a role I thought might be open, but they’ve shown me otherwise. Both of them have really improved their performance, and they are both competing in a positive and healthy way. It’s like a friendly competition where everyone wants to do better than the others, but in a positive way.
Leandro Trossard is the player I’ve really been impressed with because he’s different from all the other players they have on the left side. Martinelli has speed, and that’s something you can’t take from him. But Leandro knows how to find open space, and what I really admire about him is how calm he stays. You’re not sure exactly what to expect from him, and he’s been so consistent, which is really surprising.”
Wayne Rooney also offered high praise for the Belgian’s technical range: “I think Trossard, as Theo said, has done a great job this season and he’s a tough player to defend against. He moves into the ten position, sometimes he stays on the wide side. He can play with both feet and has scored a lot of goals, so I think he has been really good.”
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