Arsenal beat Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium on Saturday to consolidate top spot.

While Gabriel Martinelli’s 46th minute winner was enough to clinch victory in a match that the Gunners commanded, it was the performance of a January signing that caught the eye.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta opted for Leandro Trossard up front instead of the misfiring Eddie Nketiah.

It proved to be a masterstroke, with the £27m former Brighton man shining in his position between the lines as a False 9.

The Gooner analysed just why this position for Trossard could reap benefits for Arsenal in their bid to lift the Premier League title for the first time in 19 years.

Three Reasons How Leandro Trossard’s False No9 role could hold the key to Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge

1 – A Nimble Protagonist

No wonder Gunners boss Mikel Arteta hailed Trossard's performance as the central striker during the Gunners vital victory at Filbert Way.  

The Belgian forward has been featuring as a left winger for Arsenal since signing on the dotted line from Brighton last month but was cannily deployed as a False 9 by Arteta on Saturday.

The shame of it was that he was denied an outstanding first half goal after a VAR review that raised more issues about applying the technology consistently when it comes to Arsenal - but he put that disappointment firmly behind him to nutmeg Harry Souttar with a through ball that set Martinelli on his way to scoring the only goal of the game 56 seconds after the half-time interval.

"He was really good," said Arteta. "He got involved in many situations that could have ended in many big chances. He was involved in the incredible goal he scored that was disallowed. He was involved in the goal of Gabi with the pass he plays to him.

"He is so good in the small spaces. He’s got that creativity to open people up and I’m really happy with him."

With a run of games against sides that will presumably pack their defence and close down space in the final third, Trossard’s ability between the lines could be the key that unlocks the obdurate defences of Everton and Bournemouth and Crystal Palace in mid-March. And with Fulham at the Cottage sandwiched before hosting Patrick Vieira’s Eagles, his effective use of space could be prompting a few sleepless nights for the backlines concerned.

2 – An additional option

While on paper the 1-0 victory over Leicester may have appeared relatively tight, the reality was that Arsenal were reminiscent of the early part of this season. Laden with attacking intent and fluid, with players switching roles with alacrity, underlining the heartening fact that the Gunners invariably appeared to have a man spare in attack. This was amplified by Arteta deploying Trossard through the middle, intelligently worrying the Foxes backline by dropping deep at times in a bid to find space in tight spaces between the lines.

We all know Eddie works hard on and off the ball, but Trossard as a False 9 takes his role to a new dimension, and in doing so gives Arsenal a new dimension at a crucial point in the season.  

3 – Goalscoring threat

The former Brighton man, on as a replacement for Martinelli, only needed four minutes to make his mark on Brentford game, popping up at the back post to tap home Bukayo Saka’s excellent cross, during the Gunners ultimately frustrating 1-1 draw with the Bees. 

“We took Gabi off for Leo because when Leo’s in those spaces, he’s so good. He’s so composed, he’s constantly faking movements, playing forwards, he’s got a smell for where the ball is going to land, and we believe it was the right choice to get him on today,” said Arteta after draw, notable for the VAR debacle that cost the Gunners two points. 

However, it's not just Arteta’s opinion that Trossard is a real and present threat in the box. The Waterschei-born left-winger has a proven pedigree in goalscoring.

Of course, who can forget his impressive hattrick for the Seagulls at Anfield earlier this season during Brighton’s 3-3 draw against Liverpool.

Yet, with a total of 25 goals in 116 league appearances for the south coast outfit – mostly coming from the left rather than the centre, not to mention 27 in 83 for Genk, punctuated by loan spells including 16 in 30 for Lommell, it is fair to say Trossard knows where the net is.

With the return of Jesus still pending, and Nketiah’s misfiring travails, including that header against Manchester City at the Emirates, it is imperative that the Gunners keep picking up vital victories at this stage of the season. With Trossard playing up top instead of Steady Eddie, albeit as a False No9, the 28-year-old could be a surprise component that ensures Arsenal bolster their title bid in the weeks and months to come.