Mikel Arteta’s decision to start Mikel Merino over Declan Rice in Arsenal’s recent match against Brentford raised eyebrows among fans. While Merino arrived at the club as a highly regarded signing in the summer, Declan Rice has quickly established himself as one of Arsenal’s most impactful players since his move to the Emirates.
Rice is widely seen as a cornerstone of Arsenal’s midfield, and many fans were surprised to see him benched in favour of the Spanish international. However, the decision proved to be a masterstroke by Arteta, as Arsenal secured a victory, with Merino contributing one of the team’s goals.
Following the match, Arteta addressed the reasoning behind his lineup choice. Speaking to Arsenal Media, he explained: “Very good, it’s because he deserves it and the type of game that we have to play and the amount of density that they defend when they are deep requires people with a lot of threat in the box, and he’s a master of that. We believe with this unit on the left, we can have the dynamics that we wanted, so, very good. He scored a very, very important goal. Again, he’s always there, he’s a big threat, so, great to have these options.”
Merino’s performance justified the manager’s decision and reminded fans of his quality. Signed as one of Europe’s most sought-after midfielders, Merino is expected to play a key role for Arsenal as the season progresses.
Arteta’s faith in the Spaniard demonstrates his commitment to utilising the full depth of the squad and ensuring every player has the opportunity to shine. For Merino, consistent game time will be crucial in showcasing his abilities and continuing to contribute to the team’s success. With competition for places as intense as ever, Arsenal’s midfield depth looks poised to be a significant advantage this season.
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I have hope for Merino but at the moment he is a passenger. Something needs to click.
I believe his worth to the Arsenal is still very much to be decided but below I will repeat what I pointed out back on August 14:
Real Sociedad haven’t gotten even close to the big 3 except ’22/’23 when they were 6 points away and their finishing places in LaLiga are very much what I would describe as a better mid-table club. LaLiga finishes the last 6 seasons beginning in ’18/’19 were: 9th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 4th, and 6th. We need players who can get us from 2nd to 1st not from 4-9th to maybe 3rd one day.
I suspect that he may fit in with us but I’m not getting too excited about the possibilities of a huge impact. As fellow gooners we can only hope for the best but I’m not going to lose any sleep if he doesn’t come.
I don’t see anything yet that changes my opinion of the acquisition but I’m still hopeful.
A bit harsh Reggie?While he has not set the heather on fire he is neat and tidy in possession and has proved that he has an eye for a goal.He is likely to start against Brighton along with Rice and Odegaard in midfield as the imperious Partey will almost certainly be used at RB in the absence of the excellent Timber.Mitoma is likely to provide Partey with a severe test and Saliba will need to ready to lend support when necessary.
Harsh but true Grandad.
Very true ,he’s had 1 good game and up until he scored he had hardly set the game alight
I thought he was poor DK and invisible. He seems to be on the edge of everything. He has to be better than he has been.
It would be fine if he also give the two academy graduate chance
Well, the team as a whole did great last night and there was just two off players in ‘Calafiori & Odegard’ i mean to their standard on a good they are better than they were last night of which in CALA it’s quite understandable coming into d fold as a starter 4 d 1st time after a while but Odegard to me was a bit of a surprise though it happens to every players. As for the rest including Merino of which i rated very highly…i would say very impressive but I think Partey solidity also helped him a lot. as for some people trying to judge him as per which position his former team finishes in…it doesn’t work that way, I’ve seen players brought 4rm best teams of this world and demerits on arrival. I’m not rating him too highly too cos I feel he still got a lot to prove but he’s a very decent player if u ask me and remember this guy aside from having early injury immediately he got into the team he also haven’t had preseason program with us which means i still see him improving after a season with us if everything worked well with him.
I think people have been harsh on Merino but my observation is that for him to perform he needs Partey to enchor the midfield and Odegaard in good form. Merino with Rice will not click and I believe Xhaka with Rice would not work cause Rice is not good in front of the defenders.
The reason for Merino not perform in the match against Nottingham is because Odegaard was not in good form. Judge him when he has Partey behind and Odegaard on good form