Mikel Merino’s second goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City was the kind of poacher’s finish that has fans wondering if he might be the striker the Gunners have been searching for all along.
Arsenal found themselves in an attacking crisis when Kai Havertz suffered a significant injury during their warm-weather training camp in Dubai. This setback came at the worst possible time for the Gunners, as Havertz was their only fit striker heading into the camp.
With the German out of action, Arsenal’s forward options were severely limited, leaving them with just three fit attackers, all of whom started the match at the King Power Stadium. Despite dominating possession, the Gunners struggled to break down a resilient Leicester City defence. Mikel Arteta, searching for a spark, turned to his bench late in the game, and it was Merino who rose to the occasion.
Merino’s first goal was crucial, but his second was the real highlight of the match. It was a calm, composed finish, the kind of goal that an experienced striker would be proud of. His poaching instincts were on full display, as he positioned himself perfectly to convert a rebound with minimal fuss.
Kris Boyd, analysing the match on Sky Sports, was full of praise for Merino’s performance, suggesting that the Spaniard might have just proven he could be the solution to Arsenal’s striker woes. Boyd said:
“They might have found a new No9 because it’s the finish of a striker. He might not be a natural striker, but his movement is like one. A really tidy finish.”
It’s easy to see why Boyd was impressed. Merino’s second goal, a clinical strike, was the type of finish that Havertz, despite his talent, might have missed. It showcased Merino’s ability to be in the right place at the right time—a poacher’s trait that could be crucial for Arsenal’s title challenge this season.
With the attacking crisis continuing, Merino has certainly made a case for being a more regular presence up front, and it will be interesting to see if Arteta considers him for the striker role going forward. After all, his performance against Leicester suggests that he has what it takes to fill the void left by Havertz’s injury.
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Arsenal has a massive secret weapon in it’s armor, it’s the Odegaard / Merino combination, it goes way back to their days at Real Sociedad where at times they were unplayable together.
Just ask Real Madrid about it.
Interesting. I wonder why it hasn’t been the same since they’ve been playing at Arsenal then.
Such was the performance and contributions from Odegaard, Real Madrid abruptly brought the loan spell to an end in fear of strengthening a rival.
He spent a full season at sociedad in a successful loan spell and returned to real Madrid as normal (not abruptly, from what I can tell – unless they were expecting to keep him for 2 seasons?). He then didn’t play much for Madrid in the first half of the next season and so joined arsenal on loan.
I don’t think sociedad were ever a significant rival to Madrid (good team but not close to top of the league), but odegaard did notably score an important goal against them during his loan spell in a cup competition which helped to knock Madrid out.
I thouight the same about the 2nd goal – the one-touch finish, controlling the ball and steering it into the net in one calm movement looked like a top class striker’s goal.
It arrived right at his feet though – can he do the same when it arrives at waist height? Elbow height? Perhaps we’ll find out in the coming weeks.
The first reminds me of his heroics at the European championship, despite the time he got the chance to expertly dispatch the chance. The second was just pure brilliance. calm,composed and collected. 🎯🔥👏