Mikel Merino's role in the Arsenal squad against PSG

In the context of a serious lack of the striker position due to injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Arteta was forced to push Mikel Merino up to play as a "false 9". The Spanish midfielder has a habit of playing deep to keep the rhythm and regulate, when forced into this new position, everyone thought he would not be able to adapt.

However, after 13 matches in this role, Merino scored 6 goals and had 4 assists, especially the tricky shot that sealed the "Gunners' 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. If Havertz and Jesus had returned right now, it is uncertain whether they would have played as a center forward for Merino to return to his old position.

However, with Thomas Partey injured, Arteta could be forced to return to the midfield. It is likely that in the match against PSG tonight, Leandro Trossard will start as a striker.

Although playing as a "false 9" recently, Merino has not always been "stuck" in the opponent's penalty area. On the contrary, the 28-year-old midfielder moves quite widely and contributes a lot to the ball making process, and can even play even lower to support the defense. This flexibility makes Merino a true "medal" in Mikel Arteta's hands, able to take on many roles depending on the situation.

How hard Real Madrid struggled with Mikel Merino, PSG could feel very clearly. In the qualifying round, the French team lost 0-2 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Therefore, Luis Enrique and his team have more reasons to keep an eye on Merino tonight.

PSG's front line is very strong with Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. In the context of Gabriel Magalhaes' absence due to injury, Arsenal really need someone to support Declan Rice to form a shield in front of the defense, that person is Mikel Merino.

No partey may force Rice to kick "number 6" instead of "number 8". At that time, the task of rotating the ball up to Merino. From the beginning of the season, the Spanish star has been listed as the most running position in The Gunners squad. Data from the Premier League shows that Merino has an average distance of 12.17 km every 90 minutes (Rice is only 11.17 km).

Mikel Merino's 1.89 m height will be a dangerous weapon in Arsenal's aerial battles, a team that is very good at this from set pieces. Since the beginning of the season, PSG have conceded 15 goals from high-profile situations, the 12th highest among all teams participating in the European Cup this season.

With so many contributions, Merino has only played less than half of Arsenal's minutes since the beginning of the season. This shows that Mikel Arteta always considers his hometown student as a mysterious factor, who can suddenly put him on the field to decide the game. If he had started from the start, Merino could have become the most unlikely to be caught dead on Arsenal's side.