In Arsenal’s recent 3-1 win over Brentford, Mikel Merino may have silenced his critics.
Some Gooners have questioned what the Spaniard brings to the table, often comparing him to players like Florian Wirtz or Jamal Musiala, who dazzle with their dribbling and creativity.
But let’s be clear—Arsenal didn’t sign Merino for his flair or trickery. Nor did we bring him in to be a primary chance creator. We signed him because of his zeal, determination, and ability to do the dirty work for the team. Merino is a duel monster, and that’s exactly what Arsenal needed.
The former Real Sociedad man shines in less glamorous but equally vital aspects of the game: winning second balls, pressing relentlessly, dominating aerial and ground duels, and excelling in 1v1 defensive situations.
Against Brentford, Merino delivered a standout performance. He won possession in the attacking third five times—a feat no other Premier League player has managed this season. Crucially, it wasn’t just about winning the ball; he released it quickly and intelligently, helping Arsenal sustain their attacking pressure.
In the Brentford game, the summer signing was everywhere: breaking up Brentford’s play, recovering possession, keeping things simple on the ball, and even capping off his performance with a goal.
It was a complete display from the Spaniard, and his efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Troy Deeney included Merino in his BBC Team of the Week, praising his importance to Arsenal while remaining cautious about his long-term suitability.
Deeney remarked, “He was quality. I’m not sure if he’s going to be up to the level of Arsenal, but I’m going to give him until next year with a pre-season. He’s neat, tidy, very fluid in the way he plays. He can go as a six, he can go as an eight, he just keeps the ball ticking over really well. I bet as a team-mate he’s excellent to have in your team.”
Some Arsenal fans may need to adjust their expectations. Merino isn’t the flashiest player, but for £30m, he’s exactly what the squad needed. With each passing week, Merino is settling into the team and improving. Even at this stage, as he builds confidence and adapts to the system, he’s already proving to be a valuable asset for squad rotation and beyond.
Daniel O
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He is neat with his footwork, but mobility is the problem, he doesn’t make himself an option during progressive presses. He will excel in certain games of cause. But he remains an important part of the team.
I think he was bought to add depth to our central midfield and not as an automatic first pick.He has good football intelligence, is composed in possession and does have an eye for a goal.On the downside, he lacks pace and energy which does not endear him to certain fans who were expecting more from a Euro winner.Certainly the decision to play Merino and the embarrassingly slow Jorjinho against Brighton surprised me but then I suppose Arteta was obliged to play TP at RB in the absence of Timber, White and Tomi.I would like to think we would extend Partey,s contract, release Jorjinho, and bring in at least one athletical box to box operator like Baleba of Brighton .
Not dissing Merino, but can’t understand why we got rid of our own player, ERS, to sign an inferior player for 30M.
40M for Califiori was also puzzling. We would be closer to winning league today if we had used the same 70M (40+30) instead to sign a top striker. Baffling – an understatement!
to be fair we all know ESR would be on the injury list right now along with the rest of our absentees.
Personally I would rather have kept ESR than to bring in Merino.
We already have Rice, Partey, and Jorghino, why add Merino (similar tools) to that defensive midfield list?
We could have certainly used ESR to fill in for Odegaard’s injury, but had no other midfielder ready to step up.
We also have problems with creativity and buildup, ESR would have helped in that facet as well. Also, ESR can play on the wings as well; a valuable and versatile attacking player we replaced with a 4th defensive midfielder.
Signing Merino is looking more baffling, the more i see him. He doesn’t look good enough at the moment. He is 29, he can’t have much more improvement. He looks very ordinary.
Perfectly said. He’s 28/29. He was brought in to make an immediate impact and improve the team. He’s not, so the criticism is fair. I dont see the same narrative about Raheem Sterling “settling in”. He was brought in to make an impact and he also has not.
As Sue P. pointed out he will Putin a good shift and is at his best when surrounded by good players as he is with Spain where he is used to simply keep the ball rolling on to their better players. At Arsenal we need someone who can make things happen which is not exactly in Merino’s job description.
Did I?
SueP,
Even when you don’t make points, you still get praised. That’s how good you are, I hope to be as good as you some day🤣😂😉👍.
Did she? 😲
Reggie,
Have I made any good points without actually writing a comment. I can’t remember.😉👍
Beats me!😊
I thought he did ok against Brighton- but apart from Herr Drier as well, everybody else thought he had a bit of a stinker.