Like me, did anyone else think that Mikel Merino’s performance against Nottingham Forest was his best yet for Arsenal?
Due to an injury, he had a slow start to his Arsenal career, missing the entirety of September. And when he returned in October, the Arsenal engine room was not at its best due to Martin Odegaard’s injury.
His early appearances in red and white weren’t as impressive, but they came when Arsenal was not at their best. While some were unsure of his abilities and others had already written him off, he has, in his last two appearances for Arsenal, dropped a perfect hint of the quality player he is.
He made a game-changing cameo appearance in the London derby against Chelsea; upon his introduction, Arsenal’s attack suddenly gained purpose and intent.
Following his performance against Chelsea, the league took a break, during which Merino continued to make an impressive impact on international duty.
Upon the league return, coach Mikel Arteta boldly gave him the nod to start in his midfield, benching Declan Rice and Thomas Partey.
Well, the decision to start the Spaniard was justified: Merino had his best game in red and white Saturday versus Forest — he covers ground with ease; in fact, he was everywhere on the pitch.
He was very comfortable receiving inside the block and showed courage with his passing in high areas. His ball-handling maturity is exceptional, knowing when to progress it and when to pass it. In addition to his ability to advance the ball forward, he excelled in his defensive work, winning numerous second balls.
I’m confident his stock at Arsenal is rising. I don’t understand those who had written him off; in fact, I feel he is underrated for how he showed he can be in the thick of everything. He could potentially alleviate the workload of Kai Havertz and Odegaard, allowing them to concentrate on their own creative expression.
According to Sofascore vs. Forest, Merino recorded:
90 minutes
50 touches
29/34 accurate passes
4 ground duels
2 aerial duels
1 clearance
3 tackles
2 interceptions
Hopefully, Merino’s performance at Nottingham Forest will serve as a foundation for future improvements from him.
For all those who doubted Mikel Merino, his preseason at Arsenal is now complete, and he’s ready to reveal his true nature.
Sam P
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I think he has definitely improved his performances over the last few games. He has quality and he is beginning to stand out on the field. I believe he will turn out to be a very solid asset. There has been a lot said about size over quality in the team but I don’t agree with that. We can now boss games with quality and physical presence.
Yes, I think you need both. I remember when some of Wenger’s later teams, while technically gifted, looked distinctly small overall against much of the opposition then, particularly among the other so-called “Top 6” teams. Drogba brushing our players aside comes to mind unfortunately.
OMG. Don’t remind me of Drogba. That guy used to take a piiss out of is us back then.
I remember one game where Sendros was visibly shaking on live TV because of Drogba.
Yes, sorry about that. I thought I’d forgotten but it suddenly all came back to me.
Top performance, I like the way he managed to keep the ball whenever he is under pressure. Almost impossible to dispossess him.👌
It’s very easy to dispossess him as he lacks Stamina
He needs to improve receiving the ball in tight spaces, then he will become integral in the side. Currently he is not trusted which is why the defenders don’t pass to his feet whilst operating in the Xhaka role. His ability to go to down after any contact is not going to work here either. He is clearly a Rice substitute as Partey is far better and so is Martin Odegaard. Time will tell.