When Mikel Arteta and armory Hierarchy reduced to zero Victor Gyokres As the centerpiece signing of the summer, he was to lock down Arsenal’s number 9 spot. Instead, we’re halfway through the season and debating whether he should even start.
East Sporting CP The forward has struggled to make his mark, with the majority of his goals in the league coming against teams expected to fight relegation (leeds united, burnley And nottingham forestEven more worrying is how ineffective the striker’s overall play has been. against wolverhampton wanderers On 13 December, the Swedish striker registered only 15 touches in a disappointing loss to Arsenal, the league’s worst team. He similarly struggled to feature in the Gunners’ 4-1 win Aston Villa On Tuesday, with only 16 touches.
When Gyöckeres suffered an injury in November, Arteta turned to his emergency striker: mikel merinoThe Spaniard offered Arsenal more than a traditional number 9 by combining his midfield and forward qualities,
Even with Gyöckeres back from injury, there is enough evidence to suggest that Merino is a serious candidate to move forward. Merino’s increased role in difficult matches has helped make Arsenal’s attack more fluid, dangerous and interchangeable, and he may be their best option.
Here’s how Merino adds dynamism to Arsenal’s attack and helps solve their key issue while the team figures out how to best use their £54 million signing.
How Merino’s movement changes Arsenal
Last season, when Arsenal’s title challenge was hampered by injuries and his set piece goals were reduced, Arteta faced a problem. Arsenal had difficulty breaking down teams that sat in the lower block, which led to many points dropping. fulham, everton, brighton and hove albionnottingham forest and west ham united All took vital points from the Gunners during the winter testing period.
The consensus was that signing a striker would solve the issue. Enter Gyokres, who Arsenal snapped up in the summer. However, the puzzle is more complex. This is not a goal scoring issue; This is an opportunity-creating issue.
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Back in February, with the Raiders kai havertz, bukayo saka, gabriel martinelli And gabriel jesus After being left out injured, Arteta turned to Merino and converted him into a striker. Signed as a player who could win duels and do things that fans could not notice, Merino found immediate success in his new role. He came on and scored two goals against Leicester City in his first covering shift at striker. Playing five more games this term last season, he added two goals to his tally.
Now, with Arsenal once again title contenders and Gyöckeres struggling, Marino could be the final piece of Arteta’s attack.
against Bayern Munich In uefa champions leagueAmid a difficult run of games in November, Merino’s qualities changed Arsenal’s momentum in the second half. As Merino dropped deep into his own half or peeled into midfield, the center back Jonathan Tah Behind him. The movement pulled Tah out of position and gave Merino’s teammates an extra man to pass to create space.
This space then allowed the midfielders Declan Rice And Martin Zubimendi Working like two deep role players, rather than one pushing while the other drops. Bayern had to press both, with more forwards in the press, which meant Merino could receive the ball and move forward.
Merino’s link-up play makes the rest of Arsenal’s attack more dangerous as it raises different profiles in the team. Players can comfortably assume positions in which they are successful.
Against Bayern, Merino’s movement encouraged other Arsenal attackers to push forward and push back the German side’s defence. With two players centrally to pass, Saka and noni maduke Spread the defense as a fullback or score from the back Miles Lewis-Skelley Can act as a striker and occupy Bayern’s center backs.
When Tah got close to Merino and followed him deep, Arsenal could look to go long and attack the press directly.
Merino also frees up other Arsenal forwards who do not have to do the work of bringing the ball from defense to attack; Instead, they may occupy a dangerous position centrally or out wide. It’s almost like having another attacking midfielder in the buildup, with the added benefit of the player being able to make darting runs into the box.
Sunderland A different challenge was provided on 8 November. It felt like for the first time this season a team had unsettled Arteta’s men through tackling. The Black Cats moved into the mid to low block to defend their lead, a strategy Arsenal had struggled with last season.
When Arsenal fell behind, Merino’s runs without the ball were vital in finding space. East real sociedad The attacking midfielder allowed Saka to occupy the half-spaces. His simple, effective movements are reminiscent of some of the best strikers in the world.
After dropping into midfield, Merino drops into the box to establish his presence and compete against the centre-backs. Even if he is not the one to get on the end of the cross, due to his position, another player might.
Arsenal are still taking advantage of Merino’s midfield abilities; He has advantageously combined the qualities of a target man while operating as a striker.
Comparing gyoceras to merino
Against Wolves, we saw a mismatch in the playing styles of Gyöckeres and Arsenal.
Rice and Zubimendi are in more advanced positions than Merino on the striker. Without enough players on the defensive line, Eberechi Eze Is forced to connect with Gyokres, who is running from behind.
This is something Gyöckeres did often at Sporting CP, making quick runs from the back, but the truth is that Arsenal have other players who perform better in those areas. His ideal position is as a goal-poaching center forward in the middle, creating chances, but he has not yet gelled with this Arsenal team. Even though the Gunners recently passed the test against Aston Villa, Gyöckeres again lacked the lead.
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The signing was supposed to be the answer to locking down the deep defence, but the best way for Arsenal to do this is when Merino keeps the defense guessing, allowing Arsenal’s other talented wingers to stretch the defence.
When push comes to shove, the Gunners will have to adapt to the striker’s style of play, or make drastic changes to his game. You feel that if this work has to be done then it will be a later thing.
what do the statistics say
It is important to note that according to teamwide statistics, Arsenal’s attack does not appear to be very powerful. spain Leading the international line. This shows that Marino is great at what he does, but it doesn’t necessarily make the offense much better overall. Arsenal have more touches inside the box with Gyökeres on the pitch, and NPXG/90 or either player hasn’t made much of a difference in goals scored.
That’s not to say that Merino hasn’t surprised many by excelling in the role – more that he’s good enough to be a leading striker without adding to the attack, as the stats are largely similar.
However, the overall contribution that Merino provides to the team as a striker makes him a flexible, multifunctional option. He provides more progressive passes, completes more defensive interventions and can dial in his midfield abilities by moving into his own half. That’s the complete package.
Merino’s defensive intervention is important, as he covers gaps in midfield and can win the ball up front. Quick recovery keeps up the pressure of their attack. Arsenal’s equalizer against Sunderland to make the score 1–1, Merino led the press which put Sunderland under pressure and Rice eventually won the ball.
When Arsenal is firing, all teams work together to spin the wheel. This is why Arteta has been given depth in the squad to call upon a variety of profiles in the middle of matches.
Gyokares is new to an unforgiving, brutal, ever-changing league. Although early signs suggest he is struggling, only time will tell if he can offer something different going forward. But in the meantime, why should Arteta break the tactical script to adapt when there is a viable option in front of him?
Merino has proven that he is a player who can do the business for Arsenal in big moments. He was converted to a striker in a disaster, but every disaster creates an opportunity, and the midfielder-turned-striker has taken that opportunity with both hands.
