Mikel Merino, Mikel Arteta, and the ‚left 8‘

Morning from a really chilly Dublin.

Mikel Arteta will meet the press this morning forward of our sport towards 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 towards Brentford final season, and fortunately there have been others who stepped up and bought the objectives.

One in all 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 exact part begins at round 1:14’15), and I do suppose the Brentford sport was considerably instructive about why he was introduced in. I don’t suppose it’s any coincidence we profiled a tall participant who is sweet within the air, and you may see by the best way we have been on the lookout for him with balls into the field it was a part of our sport plan on Wednesday night.

Clearly he scored a objective (not along with his head although), and performed a component within the third. Ethan Nwaneri’s cross was like one thing Bukayo Saka would goal in the 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 definitely helped.

Now, you may desire a special profile of participant in that place, and I can totally 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 very well there when he was moved additional ahead, however did so with years of coaching and enjoying with many of the guys round him. Even then, with all due respect to him, he could possibly be a bit clunky at occasions.

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 today, despite the fact that we’ve performed video games with him in midfield and received, there’s a way the staff isn’t fairly the identical due to the form of participant he’s. Technically he’s not all the time probably the most safe in possession, and I believe he provides the staff extra when he’s enjoying additional ahead – as evidenced by the very fact he’s our prime scorer having performed nearly all of his video games as our ‘striker’.

Merino is extra naturally a midfielder than Havertz, however I don’t suppose it’s unreasonable to say that bodily (first) and technically (second) he’s in the identical form 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 mentioned, Xhaka knew most of those guys for years – Merino arrived chilly after the Euros and bought an damage, whereas Havertz got here in from Chelsea like some form 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 would like – somebody who is a little more Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White for instance – isn’t what he likes. At the very least not for now. I believe Merino can and will enhance on the ball, he stays a bit hesitant at occasions, though principally fairly safe. I hope that may are available time as and when he performs extra frequently – he’s began simply 6 of our 19 Premier League video games up to now – and people relationships develop.

Is Mikel Merino the form of signing to get you excited or elevate the extent, per se? No. He’s a good, purposeful midfield participant and maybe the good thing about that was evident towards Brentford. With out Havertz, and with Declan Rice on the bench, he got here in, did a job, and helped us win a troublesome away sport. I totally perceive wanting extra, and I believe within the longer-term how we reshape our central midfield space will probably be as vital as any ahead signing we’ll make sooner or later, however within the present set-up he can play an vital function in serving to this staff 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 affect you when the schedule will get hectic.

My ultimate thought is that Arteta in all probability sees a little bit of himself in Merino. Apart from their title 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. Generally managers, even ones as detailed as Arteta, function only a bit on vibes. He spoke after Brentford about how he felt it was the precise 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 12 months previous.

I’m not saying Arteta introduced Merino in simply because there are similarities between them, he’ll have executed way more homework on the participant than that, however you may see from the top of the Brentford sport he appeared particularly happy for his fellow Mikel. Let’s hope he has extra event for that between now and Could.

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Proper, I’ll depart it there for this morning. For some additional studying, right here’s Tim’s newest column on how younger gamers are introduced by means of the Academy into the primary staff. We’ll deliver you press convention updates on Arseblog Information, and you may be part of us afterward Patreon for a Brighton preview podcast.

Till then, have a great one.