Arsenal eased to a 2-0 win over Brentford in midweek.
The Gunners responded perfectly to Manchester City’s 5-4 win at Fulham on Tuesday. Indeed, they head into the weekend’s action five points clear at the top of the table. Mikel Merino broke the deadlock early on against the Bees before Bukayo Saka confirmed the three points late on.
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Arsenal hardly had to step out of second gear to ground a much-changed Bees side. Having drawn two of the previous three league matches, they needed to claim all the spoils to really get the title push back on track. And they did so with Mikel Arteta’s ‘Mr Dependable’ coming up trumps again.
Not only did Merino score the opener at the Emirates on Wednesday, the Spaniard provided the assist for Saka’s late strike. Once again, the 29-year-old is coming up trumps for Arteta when needs must.
‘Mr Dependable’ the unlikely driving force behind title push
When Arsenal signed Merino 18 months’ ago, few expected the Spain international to feature frequently. Fewer still imagined he’d be leading the charge for the north London side. And yet, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus ruled out last season, Merino was the focal point of the attack.
Merino scored 11 league and European goals for Arsenal in his debut campaign at the Emirates. Four of those came across 11 outings as the starting striker. Of course, the Gunners sought to rectify their forward issues over the summer. In came Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting as a top-level option in attack.
The Swede is Arsenal’s joint-top scorer with four league goals to his name, but was forced into a spell on the sidelines last month. With Havertz and Jesus also missing, Arteta again turned to Merino. The former Real Sociedad man hasn’t let his manager down.
Merino excelling as focal point of Arsenal’s attack
Wednesday marked Merino’s fourth successive league start as the leading frontman in Arteta’s favoured 4-3-3 setup. In that time, he’s scored twice and provided three assists. He bagged a brace in the role against Slavia Prague last month. No Arsenal player has now been directly involved in more league goals than Merino (6) in the 2025-26 campaign.
The question, then, will be whether he should be now considered Arsenal’s first choice frontman? It’s a predicament for Arteta, who first used Merino as a striker when Havertz suffered a hamstring injury last February. Crucially is that he offers an attacking alternative to Gyokeres in the final third.
The Sweden international is a much-needed presence in the opposition box. Supporters were pining for a striker who would deliver in the penalty area. Admittedly, Gyokeres doesn’t operate as a conventional number nine, and will often chase balls down the channels. The immense work rate allows Arsenal to peg defences back.
Even so, Gyokeres is averaging 6.7 touches in the opposition box per 90. In total, the former Sporting man is having 26 touches per 90. By comparison, Merino is making just 2.8 touches in the opposition box per 90. He managed just four against Brentford on Wednesday. In addition, Merino is averaging 48.6 touches per 90. Granted, his numbers will be skewed by his midfield outings. And yet, he still had 54 touches in the win over the Bees.
Spaniard’s selflessness key for the Gunners
This is what makes Merino such an effective player for Arteta. He shows that desire to drop deep that frees up space for the wingers to utilise. Arteta is known to favour forwards to perform selflessly for the benefit of the collective, and Merino does so superbly. What’s more, even as the Euro 2024 winner leads the charge, he’s still more than willing to get stuck in for the good of the team.
A willingness to help out in midfield means Merino is averaging 2.4 tackles per 90. Only Jurrien Timber (3) is making more of all Arsenal players in the Premier League this season. Only right-back Ben White (6) made more tackles than Merino (5) against Brentford. There is also the link up play that has proven hugely beneficial to Arteta’s side.
Gyokeres helps out in different ways on the ball but Merino is able to knit the play together. The latter is making considerably more passes per 90 (32) than the former (12.1). This is a huge advantage that comes with utilising a midfielder on the frontline. With the impetus to drop into midfield to win the ball, Merino is able to influence Arsenal’s overall play.
“He was immense again today,” Arteta beamed at full time when quizzed on Merino in midweek. With Gyokeres and Jesus back in training, and Havertz closing in on a return to fitness, the trio have a tough task on their hands to dislodge Merino on the Arsenal frontline.
Offering midfield superiority combined with his form in front of goal, Merino is rightly Arteta’s first choice forward. He deserves to keep his place when Arsenal face Aston Villa on Saturday, and beyond.
