What Lamine Yamal did after Arsenal star Mikel Merino scores stunning hat-trick speaks volumes

Spain are flooded with footballing superstars such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Dean Huijsen, but it was Arsenal's Mikel Merino who has stolen the show, currently. The 29-year-old was a trending topic anyway after he replaced Martin Odegaard in Mikel Arteta's midfield for the Premier League clash against Liverpool.

Merino had played just seven minutes this season prior to being selected for the huge clash at Anfield. With defeat suffered at the hands of the champions, Arteta took some major criticism, for perhaps being too conservative in his approach especially against a team that had conceded four times in two games.

There is a general misconception that Merino is 'just' a defensive midfielder, but he is far from that with his run at striker last campaign showing exactly that. His value to Spain has further proven that is the case with 180 minutes played across their first two World Cup qualifiers.

Merino found the back of the net in the 3-0 win over Bulgaria last Thursday night when he headed home Lamine Yamal's cross. He followed that up by scoring a stunning hat-trick against Turkey on Sunday evening.

His first strike was a perfectly placed left-footed attempt from just inside the penalty box, while his second a calm effort on his weaker foot from a similar position into an almost empty goal. Merino certainly saved the best for last as he was fed into a pocket of space by Yamal before curling a delicious effort into the far corner.

As Merino peeled away celebrating, Yamal simply put his hand in the air without looking that shocked as if Merino pulls of those finishes on a regular basis. Spain boss Luis de la Fuente is seemingly of that belief given his verdict after the win.

"We have some fantastic players, and he's another example of a footballer who does many things well, who is a genius, a world-class player, and sometimes does not receive the recognition he deserves in Spain," he said.

"He's one of the best in the world in his position. What we have are good people, who are humble and want to continue growing."

A dilemma now seemingly awaits Arteta, with Merino vying to keep his spot in the starting XI but both Odegaard and Eberechi Eze hoping to get the nod in midfield. The latter could still start even if with his debut coming off the left after he replaced Gabriel Martinelli.

With Kai Havertz out for an extended period, Merino could yet resume his duties as a centre-forward in order to offer Viktor Gyokeres some rest time - as and when needed.

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