Mikel Arteta would have been all smiles after Arsenal’s 1-0 victory against Chelsea.
While Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League look virtually impossible now, they must do everything in their power to ensure their season does not fall off the rails as well.
Thankfully for Mikel Arteta, it was Mikel Merino who did the business for his side against Chelsea with a well-taken header.
Arteta has deployed Merino as a makeshift striker and it has lent mixed results.
Mikel Arteta raves about Mikel Merino after Arsenal vs Chelsea
But against Chelsea, Merino impressed and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was full of praise for him.
Arteta told Sky Sports: “We have had top players out for many many months. Our team has an incredible resilience. Mikel really wants to do well, he has never played that position before but he is scoring goals.”
“He is a really dangerous player in the box and he can help us. Really pleased, even physically it is a very different game to play as a nine.”
Recently, David Raya lauded Merino’s goalscoring instincts and they were certainly on display against Chelsea.
Mikel Merino stats for Arsenal vs Chelsea
The £31.6 million (BBC Sport) man did what any striker is supposed to and was clinical, scoring a header even top number nines would struggle to.
The statistics showcase that Merino was efficient for Arsenal against Chelsea.
| MIKEL MERINO STATS VS CHELSEA | |
| GOAL | 1 |
| TOUCHES | 22 |
| TOUCHES IN OPPOSITION BOX | 5 |
| DUELS WON | 5 |
Merino managed to score a goal despite taking just 22 touches, which indicates how effective he was.
Winning five duels and taking four touches in the opposition box, Merino put in a shift against Chelsea which Mikel Arteta would have appreciated as he played a key role in Arsenal’s win.
