'Stats are phenomenal': Pundits praise 'ruthless' £27m Arsenal star's performance vs Bournemouth

Arsenal banked another big three points in their Premier League title pursuit as they kicked off Saturday’s fixtures with a strong 3-0 win over Bournemouth. The Gunners are now on 83 points at the top of the table but continue to look over their shoulder at Manchester City, who still have a game in-hand after their weekend clash with Wolves.

Mikel Arteta was made to wait until the last moments of the first half before his side found a way through Bournemouth’s defence. A foul on Kai Havertz inside the box resulted in a 45th minute penalty, which Bukayo Saka coolly dispatched to take his tally to 16 league goals this season.

Second half goals from Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice secured the win for Arsenal, and the latter is once again in the spotlight, lapping up the praise from fans and pundits alike after stepping straight into the midfield and making a game-changing impact.

Rice isn’t the only man who has earned his praise this season, either. Trossard has surpassed the expectations of many with his performances in red so far. Since his £27 million arrival from Brighton at in January 2023, the winger has been instrumental in Arteta’s attack.

Trossard’s first season at the Emirates saw him return just one goal but an impressive 10 assists in the Premier League, but he often made his appearances off the bench. However, his first full campaign has seen him secure 16 starts and he has popped up with 11 goals and an assist so far, with 16 goals across all competitions.

The Belgium international earned top praise from pundits Martin Keown and Joe Cole on TNT Sports following his performance for Arsenal on Saturday.

“The fella is ruthless,” Keown said. “He’s joined the party and his stats are phenomenal since he’s been at the club. He’s now forced Gabriel Martinelli out of the side, he’s got good competition, but every time he comes in, just when you need him, he tucks it away. Beautiful, I’ve seen him do that so many times now.”

Cole echoed Keown’s sentiment and described Trossard as a ‘top player’ as he enjoys his influential run with the Gunners.