Arsenal are in fine form at present as they continue to challenge for the Premier League title and are also flying in the Champions League.
Since taking the reins at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta has turned the Gunners into one of England’s best teams once again.
Admittedly, Arsenal had some issues earlier this season when they were lacking key players, particularly in midfield.
However, with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino back in action, the Gunners are playing at a very high level.
Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with Everton, spoke about what Merino has brought to the Gunners setup that is “very important”.
Mikel Merino of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Arsenal FC and AS Monaco at Emirates Stadium on De...
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Mikel Merino helping address ‘instability’ on Arsenal left-hand side
Arteta was asked by the Arsenal media team whether Merino is now unlocking the left-hand side of the team.
The Arsenal boss spoke about how the team previously lacked stability and suggested that this was no longer the case thanks to the summer signing.
“That’s something we’ve had a lot of instability in in recent years,” he began.
“So finding that stability, those relationships, that time together, putting players that can connect with each other and find those chemistries are very important.
“It’s true that we’ve never had consistency, especially because of availability, on the left and on the right.”
Since Granit Xhaka left Arsenal in 2023, the Gunners have always had some problems on the left-hand side of the team.
Arsenal found themselves often over-relying on the right-hand side of the team when it came to attacks as they didn’t have as much power on the other side.
And even with Merino up and running, the Gunners have been without the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back for a while.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, a left-footer like Calafiori, Zinchenko and Merino, did very well against Monaco, so it remains to be seen whether he plays against Everton.
When the left-footer injury situation eases, it’ll be good to see just how much of a threat Arsenal will be down the left-hand side.
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