Arsenal given clear reality check as Mikel Arteta shown potential of £31.6m underrated signing

What a topsy-turvy week of football for Mikel Merino. From being the catalyst of criticism targeted at Mikel Arteta for the defeat at Anfield, to going away and scoring a hat-trick for Spain during the World Cup qualifiers, away from home, against Turkey.

Goalscoring is not exactly what anyone would hesitate to associate the £31.6million signing with. The Spaniard deputised brilliantly in the circumstances for the Gunners last season at centre forward when both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were out injured.

With Havertz out again, and Jesus too, thankfully Viktor Gyokeres has been able to cover. That said, Martin Odegaard’s lack of readiness and Eberechi Eze’s late arrival meant Arteta went for the midfield of Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi against Liverpool, which got quite a chunk of scrutiny.

Understandably so to some degree because the choice of the midfield three was seen by many, myself included, as rather conservative. Asking whether, in hindsight, the selection was indeed somewhat reserved for the magnitude of the game, Arteta was bullish in his response.

“Well, that's what we had. Martin Odegaard was injured, Kai cannot play, Merino is a player that is incredible arriving from there,” he said. “We played with three attacking players, two attacking full-backs. After the game, I think it's too easy to say that.”

Merino did not really create too much in the game, besides setting up a move for Noni Madueke down the right. Nowhere close to his threat in the game for Spain this weekend.

So, the question is, and Arteta alluded to such an ability, how do Arsenal get more from Merino? It is clear he is a threat and can score goals, and he has done so against the biggest of oppositions, including the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool, twice in the latter case.

For Spain, they do not tend to play with a traditional number nine and Merino’s former Real Sociedad teammate Mikel Oyarzabal tends to float with Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal on the flanks.

Merino is therefore granted more freedom to roam around the edge of the box and make runs into it to get on the end of chances, like he did against Turkey. Arteta’s style is associated with being much more regimented and systematic.

Arteta has often been challenged over his style and the way in which he wants his team to dominate and control their opponents. Therefore, freeing up a player like Merino to play in a midfield role where he can have a greater space to work in could indeed do such a thing.

The problem facing Merino is that with so much attacking talent in the side now after Eze, Madueke, and Gyokeres’ arrivals, in addition to the emergence of Max Dowman, starts for the team will be far less forthcoming. That said, he is sure to get matches with the situation regarding injuries, the volume of games, and a chance to impact fixtures later on when coming off the bench.

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