Morning from a really chilly Dublin.
Mikel Arteta will meet the press this morning forward of our recreation in opposition to Brighton on Saturday night. Hopefully no matter bug has been going round has been squashed and we’re in a position to welcome again Kai Havertz for the journey to the south coast. I puzzled how we’d do with out the person who bought the winner in each video games in opposition to Brentford final season, and fortunately there have been others who stepped up and bought the targets.
Certainly one of them, Mikel Merino, is somebody round whom there’s been loads of discourse. We spoke about him a bit on the Arsecast Further yesterday (that individual part begins at round 1:14’15), and I do assume the Brentford recreation was considerably instructive about why he was introduced in. I don’t assume it’s any coincidence we profiled a tall participant who is nice within the air, and you may see by the best way we had been in search of him with balls into the field it was a part of our recreation plan on Wednesday night.
Clearly he scored a aim (not along with his head although), and performed an element within the third. Ethan Nwaneri’s cross was like one thing Bukayo Saka would intention in direction of Kai Havertz – that very mixture bought us the winner away final season. On this occasion, Nathan Collins bought to the ball however Merino’s expertise and just a bit push unsettled the Brentford defender, that means his clearance fell for Gabriel Martinelli who produced a pleasant end for 3-1. It’s not an help, however he actually helped.
Now, you would possibly choose a distinct profile of participant in that place, and I can absolutely perceive that. If there’s a ‘handbrake’ on this Arsenal aspect you may simply understand it to be in that ‘left 8’ place. Granit Xhaka did rather well there when he was moved additional ahead, however did so with years of coaching and taking part in with a lot of the guys round him. Even then, with all due respect to him, he could possibly be a bit clunky at instances.
When he departed we introduced in Kai Havertz to play there, and unquestionably he struggled when he first arrived earlier than making an actual step ahead when he was moved up entrance. To this present day, though we’ve performed video games with him in midfield and gained, there’s a way the crew isn’t fairly the identical due to the sort of participant he’s. Technically he’s not all the time essentially the most safe in possession, and I believe he offers the crew extra when he’s taking part in additional ahead – as evidenced by the actual fact he’s our prime scorer having performed the vast majority of his video games as our ‘striker’.
Merino is extra naturally a midfielder than Havertz, however I don’t assume it’s unreasonable to say that bodily (first) and technically (second) he’s in the identical sort of ballpark as each Xhaka and Havertz. I believe we’ve to acknowledge in his case, and that of Havertz too, the necessity to construct relationships with the gamers round him has been an element. As I stated, Xhaka knew most of those guys for years – Merino arrived chilly after the Euros and bought an harm, whereas Havertz got here in from Chelsea like some sort of shell-shocked battle veteran and it took him time to attach.
The conclusion we are able to maybe attain is that this profile is what Mikel Arteta needs from the participant on this place proper now. What you or I’d like – somebody who is a little more Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White for instance – isn’t what he likes. A minimum of not for now. I believe Merino can and will enhance on the ball, he stays a bit hesitant at instances, though largely fairly safe. I hope that can are available in time as and when he performs extra commonly – he’s began simply 6 of our 19 Premier League video games up to now – and people relationships develop.
Is Mikel Merino the sort of signing to get you excited or increase the extent, per se? No. He’s an honest, practical midfield participant and maybe the advantage of that was evident in opposition to Brentford. With out Havertz, and with Declan Rice on the bench, he got here in, did a job, and helped us win a tough away recreation. I absolutely perceive wanting extra, and I believe within the longer-term how we reshape our central midfield space will likely be as necessary as any ahead signing we’ll make sooner or later, however within the present set-up he can play an necessary function in serving to this crew win video games. He’s a traditional ‘squad’ signing, however we’ve seen from the final couple of seasons how the absence of these gamers can influence you when the schedule will get hectic.
My remaining thought is that Arteta in all probability sees a little bit of himself in Merino. Except for their identify and Actual Sociedad connection, he’s somebody who arrived at a giant membership like Arsenal within the late summer season of his profession. Merino signed at 28, Arteta was 29 when he joined from Everton. Typically managers, even ones as detailed as Arteta, function only a bit on vibes. He spoke after Brentford about how he felt it was the fitting time to provide Nwaneri his first Premier League begin as a result of it was the identical floor the place he made his debut as a 15 yr outdated.
I’m not saying Arteta introduced Merino in simply because there are similarities between them, he’ll have carried out way more homework on the participant than that, however you may see from the tip of the Brentford recreation he appeared particularly happy for his fellow Mikel. Let’s hope he has extra event for that between now and Might.
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Proper, I’ll go away it there for this morning. For some further studying, right here’s Tim’s newest column on how younger gamers are introduced by the Academy into the primary crew. We’ll convey you press convention updates on Arseblog Information, and you may be part of us in a while Patreon for a Brighton preview podcast.
Till then, have an excellent one.
