‘What a terrific player he is’: Pundit left amazed by £27m Arsenal star during first-half vs PSV Eindhoven

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Lucy Ward was left amazed by the finish from Leandro Trossard for the second Arsenal goal in their Champions League tie with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.

Ward was speaking on TNT Sports (broadcast on 20/9; 20:21) after the Belgian produced a superb strike to double the Gunners’ lead midway through the first-half.

One of the best bits of business Arsenal have done over the last 12 months has surely been the deal to bring Leandro Trossard to the Emirates. Remarkably – in today’s game – he only cost £27 million.

He has made such a devastating impact for Mikel Arteta’s side. And he has now made his mark on the Champions League stage, scoring a brilliant goal at the end of a lethal counter attack.

Ward lauds Trossard after Arsenal goal

Gabriel Jesus did brilliantly to burst into the PSV half before playing the ball out to Bukayo Saka. Saka – who scored the opening goal and had real joy throughout the first-half cutting inside onto his left foot – cut the ball back for Trossard just outside the penalty area.

The ball had the potential to be a tricky one to bring under control, with it fired across. It also appeared to be bouncing slightly. However, Trossard calmly curled the ball into the bottom corner at the first time of asking.

It was a moment of sheer class from the 28-year-old, with Ward insisting that he made the chance look so much easier than it really was.

“What a finish that is from Trossard. He made it look absolutely simple but it really wasn’t,” she told TNT Sports. “Again PSV, you have to admire that they commit players forward. But on losses of possession, they’re just completely open.

“And it’s good work this is from Jesus, he’s the one who reacted first and then, they really were in trouble as soon as Saka gets running at you. And then it’s about picking out the right ball. Certainly, does this. And this is a difficult finish and he makes it look absolutely simple, Trossard. What a terrific player he is.”

Trossard’s record for the Gunners is outrageous at this point. He already has 11 assists in 27 games in all competitions. And he has also scored four goals.

He was not a player many Arsenal fans were talking about before the January window. But he went on to pick up exactly where he left off for Brighton.

He is staking a claim to play in an Arsenal side full of attacking quality. And he is stepping up almost every time he is involved.

Bringing Trossard to the Emirates is certainly proving to be a masterstroke.