When Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy zeroed in on Viktor Gyökeres as the centerpiece signing of the summer, he was supposed to lock down Arsenal’s No. 9 spot. Instead, we are halfway through the season and debating whether he should even start.
The former Sporting CP forward has struggled to make a mark, with most of his league goals coming against teams expected to fight relegation (Leeds United, Burnley and Nottingham Forest). Even more worrying is how ineffective the striker’s overall game has been. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Dec. 13, the Swedish striker registered just 15 touches as the worst team in the league frustrated Arsenal. He similarly struggled to get involved in the Gunners’ 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday, with only 16 touches.
When Gyökeres picked up an injury in November, Arteta turned to his emergency striker: Mikel Merino. The Spaniard combined his midfield and forward traits, offering Arsenal more than a traditional No. 9 would.
Even with Gyökeres back from injury, there is enough evidence to suggest Merino is a serious candidate to start up front. Merino’s growth in the role in difficult matches helped make Arsenal’s attack look more fluid, dangerous and interchangeable, and he could well 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 transforms Arsenal
Last season, when Arsenal’s title challenge was hit by injuries and their set piece goals dried up, Arteta had a problem. Arsenal found it difficult to break down teams that sat in a low block, leading to many dropped points. Fulham, Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United all took crucial points off the Gunners in a testing winter period.
The consensus was that signing a striker would solve this issue. Enter Gyökeres, whom Arsenal nabbed in the summer. However, the conundrum is more complex. It isn’t a goal-scoring issue; it is a chance-creation issue.
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Back in February, with attackers Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all out injured, Arteta turned to Merino and converted him into a striker. Signed as a player who could win duels and do the things that might go unnoticed by fans, Merino was an instant 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 in the position last season, he added two goals to his tally.
Now, with Arsenal once again title contenders and Gyökeres struggling, Merino could well be Arteta’s final piece of the jigsaw in attack.
Against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, amid a tough run of games in November, Merino’s qualities shifted the momentum Arsenal’s way in the second half. As Merino dropped deep into his own half or peeled off into midfield, center back Jonathan Tah followed him. The movement dragged Tah out of position and gave Merino’s teammates an extra man to pass to, creating space.
This space then allowed midfielders Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi to act as two deep-lying playmakers, instead of one pushing up while the other dropped. Bayern had to press both, committing more forwards in the press, which meant Merino could receive the ball and progress the move.
Merino’s link-up play makes the rest of Arsenal’s attack more dangerous because it elevates the different profiles in the squad. Players can comfortably take up the positions they thrive in.
Against Bayern, Merino’s movement encouraged other Arsenal attackers to push up and pin back the German side’s defense. With two players centrally to pass to, Saka and Noni Madueke stretched the defense wide or made runs in behind, while fullback Myles Lewis-Skelly could act as a striker and occupy Bayern’s center backs.
When Tah stuck close to Merino and followed him deep, Arsenal could then look to go long and direct over the press.
Merino also frees up other Arsenal forwards who don’t have to do the legwork of getting the ball from defense into attack; instead, they can occupy dangerous positions centrally or wide. It’s almost like having another attacking midfielder in buildup, with the added advantage of the player being able to make darting runs into the box.
Sunderland provided a different challenge on Nov. 8. It felt like the first time this season a team had rattled Arteta’s men by flying into tackles. The Black Cats dropped off into a mid-to-low block to defend their lead, a tactic Arsenal struggled with last season.
When Arsenal fell behind, Merino’s runs without the ball were key in finding pockets of space. The former Real Sociedad midfielder’s forays wide allowed Saka to tuck into the half-spaces. His simple, effective movement is reminiscent of some of the best strikers in the world.
After dropping into midfield, Merino then ventures into the box to be a presence and compete against the center backs. Even if he isn’t the one to get on the end of the cross, because of his positioning, another player might.
Arsenal are still reaping the benefits of Merino’s midfield abilities; he has beneficially added the traits of a target man while moonlighting as a striker.
Comparing Gyökeres with Merino
Against Wolves, we saw the mismatch of Gyökeres’ and Arsenal’s style of play.
Rice and Zubimendi are in more advanced positions than they were with Merino at striker. Without enough players occupying the defensive line, Eberechi Eze is forced to join Gyökeres, who is making a run in behind.
This is something Gyökeres did often at Sporting CP, making darting runs in behind, but in truth, Arsenal have other players who operate better in those areas. His ideal positioning is in the middle as a goal-poaching center forward, putting chances away, but he hasn’t gelled with this Arsenal team just yet. Even though the Gunners passed the test against Aston Villa most recently, Gyökeres again lacked bite up front.
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The signing was supposed to be the answer to picking the lock of deep defenses, but the best way for Arsenal to do that is when Merino keeps defenses guessing, allowing Arsenal’s other talented wingers to stretch defenses.
When push comes to shove, the Gunners will have to adapt to the way the striker plays, or he will have to drastically change his game. You get the feeling it will be the latter if this is to work.
What the stats say
It’s important to note that according to the teamwide statistics, Arsenal’s attack doesn’t appear to be more potent with the Spain international leading the line. This suggests that while Merino is brilliant at what he does, it doesn’t necessarily make the attack considerably better overall. Arsenal have more touches inside the box with Gyökeres on the pitch, and there has not been much difference in npxG/90 or goals scored with either player.
That’s not to say that Merino hasn’t surprised many by flourishing in the role — more so that he is good enough to be the leading striker without elevating the attack, as the stats are largely similar.
Arsenal stats with Gyokeres and Merino starting at striker (all comps)
GyokeresMerinoGames started at striker188npxG/game1.91.7Goals/game2.12.3Shots/game15.913.8Opp. box touches/game35.627.9
However, the overall contribution Merino provides to the team as a striker makes him a flexible, multifunctional choice. He provides more progressive passes, completes more defensive interventions and can dial into his midfield abilities by dropping into his own half. He’s the complete package.
Gyokeres and Merino (all comps)
GyokeresMerinonpxG + xA/900.440.28Prog. passes/900.784.04Touches in own half/905.4217.11Passes in own half/901.508.63Def. interventions/903.168.23
Merino’s defensive interventions are crucial, as he covers gaps in midfield and can win the ball up front. The quick retrievals keep the pressure of their attack on. For Arsenal’s equalizer against Sunderland to make it 1-1, Merino led the press that put Sunderland under pressure, and Rice eventually won the ball.
When Arsenal are firing, all the cogs work together to make the wheel turn. It’s why Arteta has been given the squad depth to call upon a variety of different profiles mid-match.
Gyökeres is new to an unforgiving, ruthless, ever-changing league. Though the early signs seem as though he is struggling, time will tell whether he can offer something different up front. But in the meantime, why should Arteta rip up the tactical script to adapt to him when a viable option is in front of him?
Merino has proved he is a player who can do the business for Arsenal in big moments. He was switched to a striker in a catastrophe, but from every catastrophe arises an opportunity, and the midfielder-turned-striker has taken that opportunity with both hands.
