Arsenal beat Fulham 2-1 in a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.
The win took the Gunners to 61 points from 30 matches. They remained in the second position with that win, but Liverpool extended their lead to 12 points yet again by beating Everton at Anfield later.
Mikel Merino and Gabriel Jesus scored for the Gunners to guide them to victory over Fulham.
The Gunners continued to play without a proper striker, with Merino deputizing as one in yet another match.
Mikel Merino Was Primarily Signed as a Holding Midfielder
Mikel Arteta signed Merino as a holding midfielder to provide backup to the likes of Declan Rice and Thomas Partey.
With both Rice and Partey starting regularly, Merino only managed to get chances to play as a substitute, primarily in the first half of the season.
However, in the absence of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, he has been playing as the No. 9 for the North Londoners.
Merino has now scored seven goals in 34 matches. He has played only a handful of those matches as the No. 9 for Arsenal, which makes his tally of goals even more impressive.
The Spaniard has also scored for his national team against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal, which highlights his opportunism.
Neither Havertz nor Jesus can be called a proper striker. Hence, Merino is not the first Arsenal striker in recent times to play as a makeshift one.
He is quite a quick mover inside the opposition penalty box and can make his presence count often.
With the chances of either Havertz or Jesus featuring in Arsenal’s playing XI remaining quite slim for the remainder of the season, Merino is almost certain to get more opportunities to play as their striker in the upcoming matches.
It remains to be seen whether he can keep justifying his signing in a way very few had predicted at the start of the season.
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The League Title is All But Gone for Arsenal
The Gunners are likely to experience disappointment yet again as far as winning silverware is concerned.
Liverpool lead them by 12 points, with eight rounds of matches to go. Unless Liverpool choke on a monumental level, the league title is all but ensured for them.
Arteta will not be a pleased man for his inability to win a title for the Gunners in yet another season.
However, he will be satisfied to know that one of his signings is performing well at the moment.
With the Gunners likely to go for Alexander Isak in the transfer window this summer, Merino might not get many more opportunities as a potential goal-scorer this season.
Therefore, the time is ripe for him to keep making an impact for his team. He had scored only 27 goals in 242 matches for his previous club, Real Sociedad, before joining Arsenal.
This means that his goal-scoring ability must have come as a pleasant surprise for his new team
One can hope that he will keep surprising football-lovers all over the world with his new-found prowess.
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CreditIMAGO / PPAUK
Recording Date
Mikel Merino’s transformation from a holding midfielder to a makeshift striker at Arsenal has been nothing short of remarkable. His seven goals in 34 appearances, especially considering his limited time as a forward, demonstrate his versatility and tactical awareness. While Arsenal’s title hopes appear slim, Merino’s unexpected contribution has given Arteta a tactical edge. However, with rumors of Alexander Isak joining in the summer, it will be interesting to see how Merino adapts moving forward. Could this be a career-defining moment for him? The future looks intriguing.