Mikel Arteta and Viktor Gyokeres react after Arsenal’s defeat vs Aston Villa (Photograph via Alex Pantling/Getty Photographs)
Arsenal’s makeshift striker Mikel Merino had an overly deficient recreation in opposition to Aston Villa nowadays, possibly appearing that Mikel Arteta wishes to finish this experiment.
The Spain global has crammed in beautiful smartly as an emergency centre-forward, scoring in contemporary video games in opposition to Chelsea and Brentford, however generally it indisputably can’t be thought to be a long-term choice.
In opposition to Villa nowadays we noticed Merino completely shackled, with the 29-year-old slightly ready to make any more or less affect at the recreation.
See underneath for a few of Merino’s stats at Villa Park, with the previous Actual Sociedad guy failing to have any photographs or make any key passes…
Mikel Merino vs Aston Villa
46 mins performed
Pictures
0
Overall passes
11
Correct passes
7
Key passes
0
Dribbles tried
1
Dribble luck
0%
It kind of feels Arteta realised he needed to trade issues as he changed Merino with Viktor Gyokeres within the forty sixth minute.
The issue there, on the other hand, is that the Sweden global simply hasn’t executed sufficient since becoming a member of to persuade Arteta he shouldn’t be experimenting with a midfielder up entrance as an alternative.
Mikel Merino in motion for Arsenal (Photograph via Justin Setterfield/Getty Photographs)Do Arsenal want to trade issues up entrance this January?
Arsenal spent so much on new attacking gamers this summer season, with Gyokeres becoming a member of for £64m, Noni Madueke for £48.5m, and Eberechi Eze for £60m.
Nonetheless, none had been constant sufficient, and that’s been an issue for the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as smartly.
Leandro Trossard has been Arsenal’s maximum dependable attacker, contributing six targets and 5 assists in 17 video games to this point, together with his equaliser in opposition to Villa nowadays.
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Total, it’s now not probably the most threatening entrance line, and one that would do both with some additional additions, or on the very least the rapid go back of the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to complete health and shape.
Proceeding with Merino up entrance, on the other hand, is indisputably now not an choice, and for now Arteta most likely wishes to turn extra believe in Gyokeres and determine learn how to get the most productive out of a striker who was once scoring for amusing in Portugal.
