Eight months into his time in N7, Leandro Trossard is enjoying every minute in red and white.
The Belgian forward joined us in January and provided 10 assists before the end of the campaign, becoming an important figure in our side.
With a feel-good factor at London Colney and the summer arrivals of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, Trossard is confident that we can challenge for the Premier League title again this season.
“It’s so much like a family,” he said. “Once you enter the building everyone takes care of you, you can ask them whatever you want and it’s a really nice feeling.
“Kai, Timber and Declan are all great additions for the squad. They all bring something and it’s competitive, so everyone has to be at the top of their game to perform well. It’s a really good bunch of lads and it’s nice to have them here.
“Declan’s a really good guy and, from the day he joined, I tried to help him to settle in. From that day we had a good connection. He’s a top player but also a top guy to speak with and we get along quite good.
“He can help us in ways we didn’t have before. All the players are happy with the team now. We want to win every game and that’s what we’re competing for.
“There’s more depth and how we compete, everyone has to be at the top of their game. Otherwise, they know they won’t be playing. That’s how you strive for greatness. We have such a good group at the moment, not only on the field but also off the field and that helps a lot to perform.
“We will definitely add some quality in different parts of the game. I feel like we’re stronger and it’s a long season with the Champions League as well of course.”
With Mikel Arteta at the helm, Leandro continues to be excited about the impact our manager has on the team.
“Tactically, the way he sees the game is amazing,” he said. “He’s a tactical magician, I would say. He helped me a lot on how we build up, where the spaces are, and how to move if you play in different positions.”
Our season got off to a fantastic start with a win against Manchester City to earn the Community Shield trophy early in August, and the current campaign looks set to represent another tough test with Pep Guardiola’s side.
“We have all the respect for what they achieved last season,” Leandro explained. “We know how they’ve performed in the Premier League, but it’s down to us. We have such a great squad with so much quality and if the game plan is there and we perform at our best we can challenge them.
“We always want to go toe-to-toe with them. Other teams in the Premier League have added players as well. It’s hard to say who will be in the title race because it’s a long run and you never know what will happen in a season.
“I think Liverpool and Chelsea have made some good signings in the market, but we want to win every game and that’s the mindset of how we go into games. At the end, we will see where we are.”
Asked to reflect on his own contribution to our Community Shield win, when he scored the equalising goal in the 11th minute of added time at the end of the second half, Leandro was keen to praise the team effort.
“It’s always a team effort. We did really well in the penalty shootout. That’s what the team is about, to stand up in the big moments. That’s what we did and we’re really happy with that.
“I feel really confident that I can help the team. I think I showed that over the last six months already. It’s always nice if you can score an important goal. That was the equaliser that got us into the penalty shootout and it’s nice that we won the Community Shield, so it’s really nice for myself, the club and the fans.”
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