Mikel Arteta given surprise Arsenal headache as star makes 'I'm not used to it' claim

Mikel Merino proved his goalscoring prowess once again - and Mikel Arteta will be delighted. The Arsenal midfielder scored a stunning hat-trick as Spain thrashed Turkey in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday night.

Merino's heroics helped Spain maintain their 100 per cent start to qualifying with an emphatic 6-0 win. Pedri got on the scoresheet twice and Ferran Torres also found the net in a blistering display by Luis De La Fuente’s side in Sunday’s Group E encounter in Konya.

Victory could have been even more convincing but for a number of saves by Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, who was kept busy throughout. It was an impressive display from Spain but Merino will be the one to grab the headlines - and rightly so.

And his heroics while on international could give Arteta a headache - with Merino once again showing he can deliver in front of goal. The Gunners' new £63million signing Viktor Gyokeres has endured a slow start to his career in north London, notching two goals in the 5-0 win over Leeds but drawing blanks against Manchester United and Liverpool.

Whether Arteta will consider chucking Merino up top again, having played him as his striker in the last campaign when Kai Havertz suffered a season-ending injury, remains to be seen. Merino ended last season with 10 goals in all competitions, but he's been playing his familiar midfielder role so far this season following the arrival of Gyokeres.

Arteta will be delighted with the recent performance of Merino, who was understandably delighted to notch three goals. After the game, he said: "Well, obviously when you face an opponent like Turkey, you know it's going to be a tough game.

"We knew we were coming here to a very tough atmosphere with great fans that are always supporting them, but at the same time, we are confident that we are going to win every game.

"We didn't expect to win with six goals, but obviously we did an amazing game. We played very well from the beginning, respecting the opponent, giving our all and we were lucky enough to score a couple of goals.

Speaking about his hat-trick, he said: "It's amazing; obviously I'm really, really happy. This is my first hat-trick. I am not used to scoring so many goals, so scoring three with my national team on a night like this, against a team like this, is magical, and I think it's a night I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Merino recently predicted "big things" from Arsenal - despite the Gunners losing to Liverpool in their latest Premier League outing. Asked if he thinks Liverpool and Arsenal are going to be the two teams tussling for the title this season, Gunners midfielder Merino said: “I think two of them, for sure.

“Two big squads, two prime mentality teams that always want to attack, always want to win games, and are going to be winning lots of games during the season.

“But we have many other teams that have the same qualities, also good squads around the league. It’s going to be a tough one, it’s going to be a long one and we know it’s not going to be decided in the first five games, so be patient, take the positives from today and carry on.”

Eberechi Eze, Gyokeres and Noni Madueke have moved to the Emirates Stadium this summer, as have Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

“I think we are a different squad (to last season), but I think the mentality in the team is that we can do big things,” Merino said. “Obviously, we want to take that next step and I think we are ready.

“Games like against Liverpool, obviously, are hard to digest because you lost, even though the feeling was that we deserved better. But, yeah, overall, very excited for this squad, the amount of quality that we have, the amount of depth that we have now is going to be crucial for the future.

“Obviously, now it’s time to think about the national team, but very excited for coming back and still create those relationships with the new guys. Everyone needs time to adapt and in the future I think we’re going to be ready.”