No Gyokeres, No Problem - Makeshift Merino Provides Arsenal 'solution'

The show of Mikel Merino wheeling distant successful ceremony aft scoring while playing arsenic a striker is thing Arsenal fans person sewage utilized to complete nan past 9 months.

And nan midfielder-turned-frontman was astatine it again connected Tuesday, scoring doubly successful their 3-0 Champions League triumph astatine Slavia Prague.

The 29-year-old was filling successful for Viktor Gyokeres, whose musculus wounded is "concerning" head Mikel Arteta arsenic nan Swede prepares for further tests.

Thankfully, he request not beryllium concerned astir Merino's expertise to measurement up and present for nan Gunners, whose 4th consecutive occurrence successful nan convention shape extended their winning tally to 10 successful each competitions.

"It's a joyousness to person him," admitted Arteta. "It's his mindset, it's his leadership, it's nan measurement he is arsenic a person.

"We are missing a batch of attacking players and we person to find different solutions. He comes successful nan Champions League and scores 2 goals."

Merino first stepped up arsenic a makeshift frontman for nan Gunners successful February erstwhile he scored doubly successful nan Premier League triumph astatine Leicester pursuing a hamstring wounded to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus' cruciate ligament wounded (ACL) a period earlier.

That was nan first clip that Merino had taken connected that domiciled since he was a child.

He past scored important goals successful wins against Chelsea, Fulham and Real Madrid and ended nan past run pinch 9 successful each competitions.

Merino has 3 this term, besides netting astatine Newcastle connected 28 September, wherever Arsenal past conceded earlier a tally of 8 cleanable sheets to adjacent a nine grounds group backmost successful 1903.

Arsenal signed Gyokeres successful a woody worthy £64m successful nan summertime arsenic Arteta looked to bring successful a earthy number 9 and lead them to their first trophy since 2020.

The Swede has scored six goals successful his 14 appearances, but had to play much than astir apt expected pinch Havertz sidelined pinch a knee wounded since nan opening time of nan season.

With fears Gyokeres could beryllium retired for longer pinch a hamstring problem, Merino will request to stay beforehand and centre to thief Arsenal's cause.

After Bukayo Saka's punishment put them up successful Prague, nan Spaniard met a Leandro Trossard transverse pinch a neat decorativeness for his first extremity conscionable aft nan restart, earlier heading location Declan Rice's transportation to seal nan awesome success.

One of Arteta's favourites successful nan squad and celebrated successful nan dressing room, he has established himself arsenic portion of nan activity group.

"My position was, always, he had really bully timing and nan capacity to decorativeness successful nan box, particularly 1 touch," added nan Gunners boss.

"And past talking to him and making judge that he plays person to nan container and he identifies nan opportunities, nan timing, nan measurement he needs to onslaught nan spaces successful narration to really they take sides nan box, which coming was a spot different arsenic well, nan measurement they group up.

"And past it's evidently his quality, he will request to study and believe each day."

The Gunners spent conscionable complete £250m successful nan summertime connected 8 caller players arsenic they looked to summation their value and squad extent to compete successful 4 competitions.

But that is already being challenged, peculiarly successful attack.

Havertz, Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Martin Odegaard are each presently retired injured, pinch Arteta admitting he has had to get imaginative to woody pinch nan problems for a broadside who lead nan Premier League and are successful nan Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

"Yeah, you person to invent options," he said. "You tin ever person options if you invent them.

"Obviously, Mikel hasn't played location earlier successful his profession but we had a bully acquisition of past play and nan measurement he reacted and performed successful that position.

Obviously, we judge that today, nan measurement they were group up arsenic well, was a bully chance for him to perform."

Merino, who was portion of nan Spain squad that won Euro 2024 - scoring a precocious victor successful other clip against Germany successful nan quarter-final - added: "This squad doesn't attraction who is injured, who is not. The aforesaid mentality, nan aforesaid occurrence inside.

"I'm conscionable trying to consciousness nan domiciled of nan number nine, moreover though I'm not a classical number 9 aliases calved arsenic a number 9 - and trying to thief nan squad pinch goals."