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Mikel Arteta should now play Arsenal’s ‘best finisher’ as a striker after Kai Havertz’s injury

Srinivas Sadhanand

Thu 13 February 2025 8:15, UK Updated Thu 13 February 2025 8:38, UK

Kai Havertz’s latest hamstring injury perhaps defeated the purpose of Arsenal’s mid-season trip to Dubai in order to recharge the players’ batteries in fresh conditions.

Havertz is ruled out for the season💜, putting an early end to a campaign where the German international could have potentially spearheaded the Gunners to winning a major trophy.

A pressing drill led to Havertz’s injury😼 as Mikel Arteta will now have his head in his hands about which player he should hand pick to play up front in Arsenal’s subsequent fixtures.

ꦅWith Gabriel Jesus out for the season as well while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are set to miss several games, Arteta does not have many potential numbers nines to choose from within his ranks.

Sources have told TBR Football that Mikel Arteta could play defenders as strikers🦂 which highlights the severity of his side’s injury situation.

🗹But the Spaniard perhaps has a readymade option that he might have to turn to in such trying times.

• READ MORE: 𝔉Emmanuel Petit names the player at Arsenal who really reminds him of Man City’s Bernardo Silva

Leandro Trossard should be Arsenal’s striker after Kai Havertz injury

Recently, Arteta claimed Leandro Trossard can play up front๊ while also naming Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri as potential alternatives up front.

൲In Sterling’s case, while the Chelsea loanee was once one of the best outlets across world football, his wasteful finishing leaves far too much to be desired while the England international’s game is best-suited to playing in tight areas out wide rather than amidst the hustle and bustle of the middle of the park.

As for Nwaneri, it is best to let him develop as a number 10 or out wide instead of putting heaps of pressure on the youngster to emerge as Arsenal’s go-to man up top — with the pair perhaps being well-suited to being Mikel Arteta’s wing duo for the time being.

Leandro Trossard༒, however is both effective as a striker while he also has a wealth of experience unlike Nwaneri under his belt. The Belgian notably played as a makeshift false during the 2022/2023 season for Arsenal and looked the part.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	24	17	6	1	58	23	35	57
2	ArsenalArsenal	24	14	8	2	49	22	27	50

Considering Trossard, who has been a bargain for Arsenal💜 has never really got a full run of games as a striker while also playing in an unfamiliar front two with Havertz at times during his spell in North London — he finally deserves a chance as their lone centre-forward.

When the versatile forward was deployed as a striker for Brighton & Hove Albion in the same season when he joined Arsenal🌸 as well, he looked the part — famously scoring a hat-trick against Liverpool in a 3-3 draw.

♕Ian Wright, who is Arsenal’s best-ever strikers also claimed in August last year that Trossard is his side’s best finisher.

👍Speaking to , Wright said: “Well, to be honest, we’re talking about somebody who’s arguably our best finisher, most clinical finisher with the chances and somebody that comes on and effects games. Yes, we know Gabriel Martinelli has got a lot of pace, when on form, he’s very, very dangerous but what we know about Leandro Trossard is his movement and appreciation for what he does for the rest of the team in what he does.”

Trossard’s record as a striker for Arsenal

﷽Impressively, Trossard has registered two goals and 11 assists for Arsenal as a striker across all competitions.

🍰Such a record is a clear indicator of the fact that the former Genk attacker can be very productive if tested out in a central role.

𓆉As Ian Wright pointed out, the former Brighton forward is a brilliant finisher, capable of scoring goals with both feet, tucking away his chances instinctively, being excellently positioned inside the box and having a calm head in front of head.

🃏But the most important question is whether Mikel Arteta now trusts Trossard to play as a striker in Arsenal’s upcoming run of games.