The Spain international has done reasonably well in a temporary striker role, having scored in recent fixtures against Chelsea and Brentford, but overall it surely can’t be considered a long-term option. ..Continue Reading
In the clash with Villa, Merino was completely neutralized, with the 29-year-old struggling to influence proceedings in any meaningful way.
See below for some of Merino’s stats at Villa Park, with the former Real Sociedad man failing to have any shots or make any key passes…
Mikel Merino vs Aston Villa after 46 minutes played
Shots: 0
Total passes: 11
Accurate passes: 7
Key passes: 0
Dribbles attempted: 1
Dribble success: 0%
It appears Arteta recognized the need for a change, substituting Merino for Viktor Gyokeres at the start of the second half.
The issue, however, is that the Sweden international just hasn’t done enough since joining to convince Arteta he shouldn’t be experimenting with a midfielder up front instead.
Do Arsenal need to change things up front this January?
Arsenal invested heavily in attacking reinforcements over the summer, bringing in Gyokeres for £64m, Noni Madueke for £48.5m, and Eberechi Eze for £60m.
Still, none have shown consistent form, which has also affected the output of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Leandro Trossard has been Arsenal’s most dependable forward, registering six goals and five assists in 17 appearances so far, including his equaliser against Villa today.
Overall, it’s not the most intimidating attacking unit, and one that could benefit from either new signings or the swift return of players like Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to full fitness and sharpness.
Persisting with Merino as the focal point in attack, however, is surely not an option, and for now Arteta likely needs to place greater faith in Gyokeres and find a way to unlock the potential of a striker who was prolific in Portugal.
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