The unpredictable Leandro Trossard: Perfecting the art of ‘fake’ shots and Cruyff turns

Leandro Trossard loves a dummy.

Whether it’s a fake shot or a Cruyff turn, Arsenal’s Belgium international forward cannot resist a quick change of direction to outwit an opponent.

The impact of such a sharp and subtle movement can be seen in his three most recent goals, which all came in the space of four days.

Even if defenders research and know the fake shot is coming, they will instinctively jump to block an incoming shot, leaving space to exploit either behind or through them.

While the dummy shot is one option, the sharp turn through the player’s own legs, popularised by Johan Cruyff against Sweden in 1974, is just as dangerous. Cruyff later discussed the turn that accompanied his name: “I never did tricks. I saw something and it just came out. There was an opponent there and I had to outplay him. That was the easiest way.”

The simplicity is what makes these movements so effective. Trossard is not known as a trickster, but he is similar to a puppet master when he pulls them out.

One instance caused the Emirates Stadium to erupt in January, when the forward left Pedro Porro on his backside needing treatment in the north London derby.

Of his three most recent goals that all involved sharp turns, the first was away to Ipswich Town on Sunday.

He shaped to shoot while falling — which prompted an attempted block from Sam Morsy — before poking the ball through Dara O’Shea’s legs.

The second goal was in the same 4-0 victory as he finished a short-corner routine by dummying an initial shot before slotting the ball through George Hirst’s legs and in.

The latest was against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, as he shaped to shoot with his right on the edge of the box before shifting the ball on to his left and having his effort deflected in through the legs of Jefferson Lerma.

His goals against Ipswich and Palace have taken him into double figures this season, making him the third Arsenal player to score 25 goals for the club since the start of last season after Bukayo Saka (31) and Kai Havertz (29).

The 30-year-old’s output since his January 2023 transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion has made him one of Mikel Arteta’s most valuable players, whether he starts games or comes off the bench. With Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final on the horizon, the last week should serve as a reminder of what a unique option Trossard is compared with others in the forward line.

His technique off both feet was a clear standout attribute on signing. There was a dip in how often he made decisive actions with his left foot in 2024, but that left/right foot balance has improved in 2025.

The ability to go both ways is what makes his dummies so effective compared with others.

“For defenders, it’s so hard to defend,” he told the Premier League in January. “Especially in the box because they don’t know what foot you’re going to go (on to). You can put them off balance quite easily and that makes my game.”

It might appear to be a coincidence, his fourth most-recent goal also went through the legs of the defender marking him. This was Arsenal’s opener away to Everton, and Jake O’Brien was the man tasked with stopping Trossard.

Compared with other defenders, O’Brien kept his legs fairly closed, but he was a victim of human nature. The quick movement of Trossard’s body to the right and the ball to the left put O’Brien off balance, and he reacted with a desperate lunge back across himself.

It was a reaction he had to make, but one that opened the gates for Trossard to shoot through his legs and into the far corner.

Those double movements and shoulder drops are what undo defenders. They are left to make split-second decisions on whether to make an attempt for the ball or hold their position, with both choices leaving them vulnerable.

When Manchester City visited the Emirates in February, Trossard enticed Matheus Nunes with shoulder drops to the left and the right. The midfielder took the bait, making a challenge and opening himself up to be another victim of a Trossard nutmeg.

As was the case with Porro weeks before, the Emirates boomed with joyous applause. These are often moments that people watch football for, but they are even better when they have a tangible impact on games.

That has been common in the case of Trossard. His first assist for Arsenal was for Gabriel Martinelli away to Leicester City in February 2023 after baiting Harry Souttar with a stepover and nutmeg.

Weeks later, he became the first player in Premier League history to record a hat-trick of assists in the first half of an away game as Arsenal beat Fulham 3-0.

His second assist, again for Martinelli, came after another Cruyff turn away from a defender with his right foot before crossing into the six-yard area with his left.

It has not just been in recent weeks when he has taken the responsibility of finishing after getting the better of a defender.

He started the 2023-24 season coming off the bench to equalise against Manchester City in the 100th minute of the Community Shield. As Saka set the ball to him on the edge of the box, he feigned to cross only to drag the ball across his body into the box. Julian Alvarez jumped to block a cross that never came and Trossard was free to shoot with his left foot — it was deflected in off Manuel Akanji.

Later that season, he was played in by Gabriel Jesus against Palace. Instead of twisting his whole body with a Cruyff turn, he let the ball run across to his left and used the outside of his right foot to cut back. Nathaniel Clyne was the defender, and all his momentum took him the other way, forcing him to fall similar to Porro.

All Trossard needed after that was a touch to set himself before finishing calmly.

The important thing for Arteta when it comes to choosing whether to start Trossard against Paris Saint-Germain or bring him off the bench is that he is not a one-trick pony.

These dummies, fake shots and turns make him dangerous in the final third, but they are not the only aspect of his play to do so.

Fourteen of his 28 Arsenal goals have been first-time finishes, which has helped build his reputation as one of the club’s most clinical strikers. His previous four league assists have also all come from not feigning one way or another, but simply going on the outside and crossing with his left foot.

Arsenal’s past two games have also seen him used slightly differently, which could help get more out of their right-sided players as well as Mikel Merino if he is available.

Arteta has this weekend free to plan how he will approach PSG. He navigated past Real Madrid without starting Trossard, but there is no doubt the Belgium international can offer something different to his team-mates that could help swing the tie in Arsenal’s favour.

(Top photo: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)