At what point does Mikel Merino become a striker who sometimes plays in midfield rather than an occasional substitute midfielder? His match-winning performance against Brentford was just the latest example of him playing the role as if it came naturally.
The 29-year-old has scored or assisted in five of six starts for Arsenal since Viktor Gjokeres’ injury saw him called back into the role. In this game, he did both, scoring the opening goal and then playing in Bukayo Saka for Arsenal’s second.
“He was massive again today,” a beaming Mikel Arteta said at his press conference, before praising the centre-forward’s instinctive play that led to his opener. “The way he scored, super smart. His timing, the way he wins the position and the execution.”
His total of 14 headed goals since the start of last season is the most of any Premier League player in all competitions.
Mikel Merino headed Arsenal in front of Ben White’s early cross
All this from a central midfielder who, until Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury last season, had never played the role before.
There’s learning on the job, and then there’s this. Merino has mastered the position and has the numbers to prove it.
Since the start of the year, he has scored a remarkable total of 21 goals for club and country, and his transformation into a goal-scoring centre-forward has benefited the Spanish national team as well as Arsenal. Merino emerged as a key top for both sides.
Arsenal again have Gjokeres and Gabriel Jesus at their disposal, with Kai Havertz not far behind them. But all are likely to struggle to dislodge Merino, whose value to the side is not limited to his goals. “He makes the team much better,” as Arteta later said.
Since his promotion at the start of last month, Arsenal have scored 15 goals in six games, their average jumping from 2.1 per game to 2.5. Merino either scored or set nearly half of the total.
Of course, he differs from Giokeres, for example, in that he does not play the role of a conventional number 9.
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Arsenal and Brentford
When he’s not sniffing out chances in the box, he’s dropping into the middle, switching positions with teammates, creating space to run into and generally confusing opposing defenders.
In his first four Premier League starts this season, Merino has averaged half as many touches in the opposition penalty area as Gjokeres per 90 minutes, but almost twice as many total touches and passes, underscoring the extent to which he mixes things up.
Arteta also wanted to highlight the work that goes out of possession. Merino has had a big job of late, starting eight straight games in a month for club and country, but you wouldn’t know it to watch him on Wednesday.
“I remember one action, he passed the ball to Martin (Odegaard) at the back and Martin doesn’t chase it. Merino makes 40 meters to chase it to the corner flag,” said Arteta.
Mikel Merino celebrates after the first goal of the game
“He’s coming back, he’s getting the ball back. He’s everywhere. He’s got really good momentum right now.”
Merino made four tackles in the game. Premier League tracking data showed he ran more than 12 kilometers and his total put him behind only Odegaard. No player has made more than his 368 intensive runs.
Tireless work was not unusual. As well as providing more goals and assists than any other Arsenal player in the last four Premier League games, Merino has made a total of 10 tackles which puts him second only to left-back Riccardo Calafiori.
His all-round contribution, both off the ball and on it, sets him apart, and he also has another vital attribute.
“I said it earlier in the press conference, it’s his curiosity, his willingness to learn and probably his willingness to help the team,” added Arteta.
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino celebrates after giving them the lead
“He knew we had a big problem from the start of the season. We lost Victor, Kai was out and Gabriel Jesus was out. So we needed a solution and he did that last year really, really well.
“I think this season he’s probably taken another step because he’s able to do even more things.”
“I think the team is really grateful and he’s enjoying it.”
Arteta sees his success in the role as a lesson for others. And it offered him learning. Concerned that he would have too many strikers in the summer, Merino rescued the Arsenal boss from a situation where he appeared to have not enough.
“I took that lesson because all summer I was thinking, if we bring a nine, what’s going to happen with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz? I’ve had a lot of craziness because I like them so much, too.
“What are we going to do? How are we going to do it? And so far we haven’t had any problems because they were injured.”
“So leave the present, leave the moment and deal with the situation when it comes. That’s it.”
And that’s what Merino did. A backup striker could be Arsenal’s best option in this position. Giokeres, Jesus and Havertz are fighting to return to the team.