Arsenal fans have spotted the same problem with Mikel Merino despite his goal vs Brentford
01/02/2025 01:15 PM
Immediately after he joined Arsenal in the summer, Mikel Merino's progress was halted by an untimely shoulder injury suffered in training.
Merino eventually returned and made his Arsenal debut against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, but it almost felt as if the midfielder had missed his chance to hit the ground running.
Since that debut in October, Merino has been in and out of Mikel Arteta's side as he slowly reaccustoms himself to life in the Premier League, having played in England with Newcastle United before.
Eventually it appears as if the Spain international will become Arteta's left-sided number eight, his long-term Granit Xhaka replacement if you will.
However, fans in N5 still seem fairly divided about Merino's credentials to do so, something they expressed on X following his performance against Brentford.
Arsenal fans are divided about Mikel Merino’s start under Mikel Arteta
Merino played 78 minutes and scored a poacher’s goal from a set-piece against David Raya's old side, a good win for the Gunners.
However, when reviewing Merino's performance, fans didn't quite agree with Arsenal's choice to put the midfielder among their player of the match candidates on X.
A lot of supporters felt as if Merino struggled in open play, concluding that he was currently one step behind the pace of Arsenal's play.
One fan wrote: "Merino’s near-side pocket play is an issue. Can't participate in or initiate combinations — lacks the deftness and mobility for participation and needs 2/3 touches to prepare for a pass. His coordination in the carry is poor as well; always a step or two ahead of the ball."
Another supporter simply stated that they weren’t happy with Merino as a whole sharing a fairly straight forward verdict: "Every single time Merino has played for us he's never looked good."
Of course, not all Arsenal fans will agree with those comments, explaining why so many have leapt to Merino's defence following his goal and contribution against Brentford.
One fan replied to the Merino criticism by saying: "Merino is suffering from aesthetics bias massively.
"Plenty of people just genuinely don't know what they're watching."
And unlike the supporter who was underwhelmed by Merino whenever he saw him in an Arsenal shirt, a different fan noticed something the midfielder was doing very well each game.
They shared: "Mikel Merino every single time manages to have at least one big goal scoring moment. Just wanted to leave you with that."
Why does Mikel Merino run around the corner flag for his goal celebration?
Of course, it wasn't just Merino's performance which raised a few questions during the win over Brentford.
The Spaniards decision to circle the corner flag after each goal was also discussed after the game, something he'll hope to often continue doing for Arsenal in the future.
READ MORE: Arsenal considering loan move for Premier League striker considered the next Alan Shearer
Lifting the lid on the celebration, the move actually stems from his dad, Angel Merino, who celebrated the same way during his playing days.
Playing for Spain in 1991, the Arsenal midfielder's father circled the corner flag after scoring in the Stuttgart Arena.
33 years later for Spain in the Euros last summer, Mikel then managed to do the exact same celebration as his father in the same stadium.
A lovely touch for a player who should continue to improve and impress in an Arsenal shirt despite his doubters.
