Fabian Hurzeler will be cautious about one Arsenal player when Brighton head to the Emirates in the Carabao Cup.
Amid the gruelling Premier League and Champions League schedule comes the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his side against Brighton, particularly after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.
During that game, four players picked up niggles, with Arteta sharing a fresh injury update ahead of Brighton to confirm that William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli will miss out.
With Martinelli out, there’s a good chance Leandro Trossard will start once again, something the Seagulls will be wary of.
Fabian Hurzeler praises Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard
Some believe that Arsenal should’ve sold Trossard in the summer, but early into the season, Arteta’s decision to keep the Belgian on board is paying off.
With five goal contributions already this term, the 30-year-old’s form might be getting overlooked slightly, but Brighton are keeping tabs.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was asked to comment on Trossard’s form, given that the forward is a former player of the club.
“I can only judge him as a player, not as a person,” Hurzeler began.
“He’s very good in both phases, so attacking and also how he defends his own box. And offensively, of course, he has the quality to beat every player one against one.”
Hurzeler also spoke about Gabriel Magalhaes pre-match, but he reserved high praise for Trossard.
Some fans might’ve assumed the German coach was speaking about Bukayo Saka, giving an insight into just how highly rated Trossard is by rivals.
What made Trossard so special at Brighton
It’s unsurprising that Hurzeler expressed such high praise for Trossard, despite not crossing paths with the 30-year-old at the Amex.
That wouldn’t, however, have avoided the Brighton manager hearing talk about the club’s former player, who was one of the very best during his time on the coast.
| Position | Goals | Assists |
| Left wing | 2 | 5 |
| Attacking midfield | 6 | 2 |
| Centre-forward | 4 | 2 |
| Left midfield | 8 | 3 |
| Second striker | 2 | 3 |
| Right wing | 2 | 0 |
While Trossard’s numbers at Brighton weren’t particularly spellbinding, what was so special about the forward was his versatility.
As seen above, the Seagulls were able to utilise Trossard all over the pitch, and a lot of the time, he delivered.
It’s unsurprising to see why Arteta signed the Belgian back in 2023, being a player with so many strings to his bow.
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