New Delhi: Arsenal throughout this season have been in the spotlight for not being able to find a proper striker with Mikel Arteta expressing his disappointment more recently at the club not managing a single signing in the January transfer window. However, while he has been searching for innovative ways to combat an injury-hit squad, he may have stumbled upon a solution against Leicester City.
Without a proper forward in the squad, the Gunners now doubt struggled to break through Leicester City’s weak defence. In the 69th minute, Arteta brought Merino, signing the midfielder from Real Sociedad signed last season. With both Raheem Sterling struggling and Arsenal’s strategy of starting Leandro Trossard as a false nine failing, Arteta would have felt his grip over the title slipping away.
And now Mikel Merino has two! ⚽️⚽️ https://t.co/hRQQGxdn78
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 15, 2025
With Merino coming from the bench and finishing with a brace as Arsenal took a 2-0 win, Arteta may have found himself a solution for the missing striker power for the moment. Before the game, William Saliba had offered to play as a striker with Kai Havertz being ruled for the season. Saliba is indispensable in the defence and Arteta before the game had considered defender Riccardo Calfiori as the potential striker instead.
Merino’s brace is his first since 2016. The switch was both a desperation and a spontaneous tactical move. It has helped Arsenal’s unbeaten streak in the Premier League extend to 15 games now, which has seen them win 10 times. It is their best run in the league since the 2010-11 season.
Mikel Arteta’s take on Mikel Merino
Arteta later noted that Merino fitted the bill perfectly with his ability to understand danger and possessed great timing and was pleased that the side was composed. On Merino Arteta further said his anticipation and arriving timely in the right areas was a great strength.
Arteta though said the side was open with their tactical plans and needed to adjust according to the different situations of the games. The Spanish tactician confessed that while a player may be given a certain job, ultimately it was hard to execute the responsibilities.
In this game, Arteta felt the 28-year-old performed well with Leicester “defending much deeper”. With more momentum and set-pieces, Arteta felt it was the right call to bring Merino into this position.
Merino himself confessed that he had never played in the role and hence was surprised to come as a striker. With his frame, Merino always looks threatening after his first strike came in the 81st minute when he headed Ethan Nwaneri’s cross from the right side before scoring again in the 87th minute with Trossard giving the cross from the left. The win keeps them in the hunt for the title, separated by just four points from Liverpool.
Yet even Merino didn’t feel that he would be featuring in the role more prominently in the future. Arteta may be tempted to retain him in the position as his season unfolds without Havertz and Gabriel Jesus and with Merino giving Arsenal the power to press forward.
While Merino may have taken all of the spotlight Nwaneri displayed great confidence and pace during the game. Before his pass in the 81st minute, he had hit the poles twice and was the one who looked most threatening from the Gunners. Arteta was all praises for the 17-year-old and Myles Lewis-Skelly who ensured that Leicester didn’t score through Jordan Ayew’s cross.
For Sterling, it was an outing he would like to forget as he looked underconfident and lacked pace. The 30-year-old had come on loan from Chelsea and hasn’t managed to impress at the Emirates Stadium. Merino may not have been used as a midfielder completely since his arrival but he now has a chance to impress everyone much further ahead.
Mikel Merino’s brace against Leicester City may have given Mikel Arteta a temporary solution for a designated striker role as Arsenal prepares against long-term absences in the squad. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
