'Insufficient': Arsenal player told his first-half display for his country last night would've got a 1/10 rating
Today at 02:15 AM
A host of Arsenal players are currently away on international duty, with Nations League progress and World Cup qualification at stake.
On Thursday, one Gunners player started for his country, but he – along with most of his teammates – really struggled in the first half.
Although said Arsenal player and his colleagues did better in the second half, they still couldn’t get back into the game and ended up losing.
READ MORE: Arsenal 'superstar' set for return from injury after international break
Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard delivers mixed display for Belgium
The player in question is Leandro Trossard, one of Belgium’s key players and normally one of their shining lights.
Belgium hosted Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium but got off to a poor start as Sandro Tonali opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
The Newcastle United star got his first international goal as he connected with Giovanni di Lorenzo’s pass and slotted home from six yards out in Brussels.
Trossard and his teammates were poor throughout the opening 45 minutes but they did threaten in the second half.
Indeed, the Arsenal man nearly helped provide the equaliser, though his delivery to Wout Faes concluded with the Leicester City man hitting the post.
How Belgian media rated Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard
Walfoot gave Trossard a rating of 3.5 out of 10, though they stressed that his second-half display saved him from what was on course to be a 1 out of 10 rating.
“If the match had stopped after 45 minutes, Leandro Trossard would have royally obtained 1/10 for the attendance rating,” they wrote.
“Fortunately, his second half, with several inspired strikes and a bit of dynamism, saved the whole thing.
“This remains largely insufficient for the team’s only creative midfielder.”
Meanwhile, RTBF was a little kinder towards the Arsenal forward, who Emmanuel Petit has likened to Bernardo Silva.
They awarded Trossard a score of 6 out of 10 – but they echoed Walfoot’s sentiments.
‘Guilty of losing possession as Italy broke the deadlock, he often had to go very deep to participate in the game and wasn’t able to provide service to Openda and Lukaku,’ they wrote.
‘He played better in the second half as he stood out with some good movements and a backhand strike easily stopped by Gianluigi Donnarumma.’
However, L’Avenir claimed that Trossard was ‘the only player with any ideas’ on the night, though they also said Amadou Onana was the only player to do well in the first half.
Belgium are next in action against on Sunday night against Israel in a game that will decide who will be relegated automatically from their Nations League group and who faces a relegation-promotion play-off.
Arsenal players currently on international duty
- Kai Havertz – Germany
- Jakub Kiwior – Poland
- Gabriel Magalhaes – Brazil
- Gabriel Martinelli – Brazil
- Mikel Merino – Spain
- David Raya – Spain
- William Saliba – France
- Jurrien Timber – The Netherlands
- Leandro Trossard – Belgium
- Oleksandr Zinchenko – Ukraine
- Maldini Kacurri – Albania under-21s
- Myles Lewis-Skelly – England Under-19s
- Ethan Nwaneri – England Under-19s
- Tommy Setford – England Under-19s
