Merino’s late double off the bench relieves Arsenal in win over Leicester

By Canadian Press on February 15, 2025.

After all the hand-wringing about Arsenal’s lack of a striker, it turns out Mikel Merino may have been the unexpected solution.

Merino eased Arsenal’s attacking concerns with two late goals off the bench to secure a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday.

With Arsenal playing its first game since leading scorer Kai Havertz was ruled out for the season, its makeshift front three struggled to create chances until Merino — a central midfielder — went on in the 69th minute to play as a striker.

The Spain international looked like a natural center forward as he quickly got on the end of two good crosses, heading home a pinpoint ball into the box from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri in the 81st and then steering in a low assist from Leandro Trossard in the 87th.

Arsenal tried and failed to sign a striker in the January transfer window even before Havertz joined a long list of injured forwards, leaving manager Mikel Arteta with no other option than to tell Merino to play up front.

“It was a bit of a surprise because it’s the first time in my career I played that position,” Merino said. “But he told me go on as a striker and to make sure I go with my strengths. I think I solved it.”

The win puts Arsenal within four points of leader Liverpool, which can restore the gap to seven points when it hosts Wolves at home on Sunday.

Leicester remained rooted in the relegation zone, two points behind 17th-place Wolves.

Merino has struggled to carve out a clear role in midfield since joining Arsenal last summer. Perhaps he’s found one up front instead.

“He has a sense of danger and great timing in the box,” Arteta said.

Havertz sustained a season-ending hamstring tear in training in Dubai this week, joining striker Gabriel Jesus and wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the long-term injury list.

Arteta responded by deploying a forward line of Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Nwaneri against Leicester, but the attack looked toothless for the opening hour.

Nwaneri, however, produced another impressive performance to further boost his rapidly growing reputation.

The teenager hit the woodwork twice, shaving the top of the crossbar from outside the area on the hour mark and then hitting the post with a fierce strike in the 76th. And after scoring two spectacular recent goals against Girona in the Champions League and Manchester City in the league, Nwaneri turned provider this time for Merino’s breakthrough goal.

“He’s an amazing player,” Merino said about Nwaneri, a product of Arsenal’s academy. “I’ve been talking to him the whole season that I needed those kinds of balls when I’m arriving in the box. And he has such a wonderful left foot that he put it right on my head, so I could only score.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Mattias Karén, The Associated Press

21
-20