In this summer transfer window, Arsenal signed Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino. In the match against Liverpool,, he scored a goal for the Gunners. Everyone was surprised by his brilliant performance. It is always a difficult task to deliver in the big stages.
In the beginning of the game against Liverpool, Mikel Merino was struggling. On top of that, he picked up blow in his shoulder. After a few minutes, he scored a header and gave a goal lead to the Gunners. By scoring this goal, he showed a winning mentality to all the fans.
What did Merino say about Arsenal?
Although the match ended in a 2-2 draw, Arsenal were definitely the better team than Liverpool. They were dominating the Reds. In the first half, Andrew Robertsen was clueless against Bukayo Saka. The young English winger was continuously bypassing him. And thus, he scored a brilliant goal from the right flank.
After the match, reporters asked Mikel Merino about the title race. According to Pressreader, the Spaniard replied that injury is not an excuse for them, and they are not going to give up on the Premier League title race. Everyone knows that the Gunners have lost some valuable points that might become decisive in the upcoming future.
In the meantime, players like Mikel Merino are providing hope to the entire squad. The Spaniard has past experience with the English Premier League because he played for Newcastle United in a season where the Magpies brought him on loan. We hope that this experience will be an invaluable asset for him and the entire team.
Mikel Arteta has already brought a winning mentality to this Arsenal squad. After signing these types of players, the team is now filled with experience and talent. This will definitely help the Gunners to achieve something in this season. Gradually, the title race is becoming intense because Liverpool has lost the first place to Manchester City, and Mikel Arteta is also ready to climb the ladders.
Recent performances
After joining the North London club, he picked up a shoulder injury and missed a lot of games. A few weeks later, Mikel Merino made his Arsenal debut against Bournemouth. The Spaniard failed to deliver an eye-catching performance against the Cherries. In that match, Mikel Arteta and his team needed something special from Merino. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well for the Euro-winning midfielder.
While everyone was expecting that the absence of Martin Odegaard would cost the Gunners, the Spaniard midfielder stood strong and scored a beautiful cushioning header for Arsenal. Besides that, his overall game was quite impressive. Several talented players have struggled to cope with the intensity of the English Premier League. The list includes Saul Niguez, Nicolas Pepe, Nuno Tavares, and many more.
But Mikel Merino is defying this phenomenon. This might be due to his past Premier League experience. On top of that, he is a versatile box-to-box modern-day midfielder. He can play as a number 8, a number 6, or a number 10. Mikel Arteta can also use him as a super sub because he has the ability to change crucial games by scoring goals.
When Germany was playing Spain in Euro 2024, he scored a stunning header and gave a one-goal lead to Spain. We all know that Arsenal has scored the most goals from set pieces this season because they have players like William Saiba and Gabriel Magalhaes. After the addition of Mikel Merino to the squad, they have got another player who has mastered every heading skill.
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