Arsenal may now alter their summer transfer plans after a recent tactical change by Mikel Arteta has proven to be so effective.
Mikel Arteta has been without Gabriel Jesus for the last three outings that Arsenal have had in the Premier League.
Against Liverpool, the Spanish coach dealt with the Brazilian’s absence by tasking Kai Havertz with leading the line. The German put in an impressive shift up front, helping the Gunners to a 3-1 win against their title rivals.
In the subsequent trips to West Ham United and Burnley, though, Arteta has included both Havertz and Leandro Trossard in his starting XI. This duo have proven capable of forming an extremely effective partnership.
In the 6-0 win against West Ham United, Trossard caught the eye and got on the scoresheet. Whilst Havertz’s own contribution garnered fewer headlines, he played an equally important role in Arsenal’s record-breaking win.
Against Burnley on Saturday, as Arsenal won 5-0 at Turf Moor, both Havertz and the Belgian found the back of the net.
The pair form such an effective partnership due to their contrasting qualities and attributes. In what is reminiscent of an old school big man-little man partnership, the £65 million German provides a target man-like focal point, whilst Trossard plays on the shoulder of defenders, looking to make runs in behind.
Will Arsenal transfer plans change after Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard pairing blossoms?
Against West Ham and Burnley, Havertz and Trossard interchanged frequently, as one would drop back into the left-eight midfield role, whilst the other would spearhead the attack. This has created confusion in opposition defences, made the Gunners more unpredictable as an attacking unit, and has brought the best out of both players.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a striker throughout this season. In the recent January transfer window, Arteta was thought to have made signing a goalscorer a top priority. There is certainly an expectation that this summer, Arsenal will invest heavily in a landmark deal for a new centre-forward. Big name players such as Victor Osimhen, and even PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe have been mooted as potential targets.
However, the emergence of this effective Havertz/Trossard partnership may alter those plans somewhat. Certainly, if the pair continue to impress together for the rest of the season, there will be less clamour for a big money new out-and-out striker to brought to the Emirates Stadium.
A new striker may well still be signed, but they could be of the kind of profile that means they aren’t necessarily expected to start every match, meaning there would be less pressure to break up the Havertz and Trossard combination.
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