Eventful is one word that could be used for this week’s World Cup round of 32 matches, particularly when it comes to Arsenal players.All 15 members of their squad who travelled to the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico progressed from the group stages, but fortunes have started to differ.Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli began the week playing key roles in Brazil’s 2-1 comeback win over Japan, assisting their equaliser and then scoring a 96th-minute goal respectively. Later that day, Kai Havertz was involved in the major upset of the round, scoring Germany’s only goal in a 1-1 draw against Paraguay but missing his spot kick in their penalty shootout exit.As we approach the midway point for this round of fixtures, eyes will move on to somebody who is never the biggest name in the squads he is in, but is often one of the most reliable: Leandro Trossard.Now 31, Trossard’s rise to the top has been understated. He came through Genk’s academy system, one of Belgium’s strongest clubs, but only became a first-team regular aged 21. It took three full seasons with his boyhood club to win the Belgian first division before he joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion in 2019. He was well respected on England’s south coast, but Arsenal pivoting from the exciting signing of Mykhailo Mudryk to him in January 2023 was a surprise.Aged 28, Trossard did not arrive with major expectations, but hit the ground running with 10 assists in 20 matches. He has since become a cult hero for Arsenal as a scorer of pivotal goals, none less so than May’s winner away to West Ham United, which gave them a final push towards becoming Premier League champions.His Belgium side take on Senegal in Seattle tonight, July 1, and, while the forward is in a team that includes Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku, he is the one coming into the game in the best form.Trossard’s two goals against New Zealand made casual World Cup observers sit up and pay attention, but he has been bubbling along nicely throughout – even if that was Belgium’s first win of the tournament.No player at the World Cup created more chances than Trossard in the group stages (13). All were from open play and as the graphic below shows, these shot-creating actions have come from across the width of the pitch.Trossard came into the tournament as Belgium’s right-wing option, with Manchester City’s Doku on the left. Doku returning home for the birth of his child saw Trossard return to his more natural station on the left flank, but he has also had the freedom to roam into central areas.