Fewer Passes Than Raya: Arteta Must Instantly Drop 4/10 Arsenal Dud Who Won 2/10 Duels vs Newcastle
Over the past two seasons, Arsenal have been nothing short of remarkable in their quest for the Premier League title. They have gone head-to-head with Manchester City and held their ground. In the 2022/23 season, the difference between them was just five points, and last season it narrowed further to only two points. However, as the 2024/25 season unfolds, the gap appears to be widening.
This season has not gone entirely in Arsenal’s favor. Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, and William Saliba have each received red cards, and Martin Odegaard has been sidelined for an extended period due to injury. The same magic and spark that characterized their play over the last two years seems to be missing now.
That lack of spark was evident in their 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday. St James’ Park is a challenging ground, but Arsenal managed to handle tough situations earlier in 2024. This performance, however, raised concerns.
It was a display that lacked character, fight, passion, and creativity. Altogether, it was a flat showing from a team aiming for the title. Unfortunately, for those in the away section on Sunday, Arsenal’s title hopes might already be fading. That certainly wasn’t the expectation, was it?
Where Arsenal Fell Short Against Newcastle
Sometimes, you have to acknowledge when an opponent scores a well-executed goal against you. That was the case on Saturday afternoon, as Anthony Gordon sprinted down the right flank and delivered a perfectly placed cross, which Arsenal target Alexandre Isak headed into the net.
This was arguably the best scoring opportunity either team had in the match, and it proved to be the decisive moment.
For Arsenal supporters, the biggest frustration likely lies in the tactics, or lack thereof, that Mikel Arteta used during their visit to the northeast.
On paper, the lineup looked strong enough to secure a win, but tactically, it was a disappointing performance. Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz switched roles between central striker and attacking midfielder, but this approach was ineffective.
Havertz needed to stay close to Newcastle’s defense, yet he struggled significantly, having one of his least impressive performances in an Arsenal shirt. He won only two of his ten duels and conceded three fouls.
There was also a lack of energy and creativity on the left side. Gabriel Martinelli had a tough time breaking through, as Newcastle right-back Tino Livramento successfully won all four of his ground duels and two of his three aerial duels.
In truth, the game was crying out for Ethan Nwaneri but even when he was introduced, it was too little too late. Without Odegaard, Arsenal lack so much creativity and that was evidenced in Trossard’s shoddy display at St James’.
Leandro Trossard Performance in Numbers
Last season, the young Belgian forward excelled in Arsenal’s colors. Only Bukayo Saka scored more goals than the former Brighton star, but this season he has struggled to reach the same level of performance.
Some context is necessary here. Trossard hasn’t been playing on his preferred left side and has been tasked with filling in for Odegaard’s absence. Unfortunately, things just haven’t clicked for him in this role.
So far this season, Trossard has only found the net twice in 12 appearances, and his performance on Saturday afternoon didn’t show much improvement.
| Trossard vs Newcastle | |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 71 |
| Touches | 37 |
| Accurate passes | 17/22 (77%) |
| Shots | 2 |
| Dribble success | 0/2 |
| Crosses | 0 |
| Key passes | 0 |
| Ground duels won | 2/9 |
| Aerial duels won | 0/1 |
| Fouls | 1 |
| Possession lost | 12x |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Tackles | 0 |
| Dribbled past | 3x |
| Stats via Sofascore. | |
Substituted with 20 minutes left on the clock, the 29-year-old exited the field having contributed little to turn the game around, recording fewer passes (17) than even goalkeeper David Raya, who completed 18.
His first-half performance was particularly disappointing, frequently losing possession with ease. One notable instance came near the end of the first half, when he attempted a pass to Saka, who was in ample space at the edge of the box, but the ball was significantly overhit.
This was one of 12 instances in which Trossard gave away the ball, adding to what was an overall lackluster showing. To make matters worse, he failed to deliver a single key pass and managed only two shots, one of which veered wide in the early minutes.
As GOAL reporter Gill Clark described, Trossard “gave the ball away far too many times in a sloppy showing,” earning him a 4/10 match rating for his performance.
Looking ahead to Arsenal’s Champions League match against Inter Milan in midweek, it may be time to move the Belgian to the bench and consider giving Nwaneri a chance in his place.
