Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should prove Mikel Merino wrong and continue to utilise the 28-year-old as a makeshift striker when the Gunners host West Ham in the Premier League at the weekend. Merino came off the bench for the final 20 minutes of Arsenal’s clash with Leicester on Saturday and proved to be the matchwinner as he scored a quickfire brace.
Merino headed in the Gunners’ opener at the King Power Stadium as he broke the deadlock 81 minutes into the match.
He swept home a second goal moments before the end to keep the north London giants in the title race.
After the match, Merino suggested he would soon return to his usual position in midfield after being quizzed by TNT Sports over whether he would feature as a striker more regularly.
“I don’t know. I don't think so to be honest,” he told the broadcaster. “It’s funny because I only scored two more braces in my career and it’s the first time I scored a brace coming off the bench as a striker.”
He then added: “He (Mikel Arteta) told me to come in as a striker this morning. We were talking about it a little bit with one of the assistants. It is the first time in my career that I've played that position.”
After the match, Merino suggested he would soon return to his usual position in midfield after being quizzed by TNT Sports over whether he would feature as a striker more regularly.
“I don’t know. I don't think so to be honest,” he told the broadcaster. “It’s funny because I only scored two more braces in my career and it’s the first time I scored a brace coming off the bench as a striker.