National games can give fans a different outlook on players they see in their club teams week to week. Two players who have annoyed sections of the **Arsenal**fanbase found themselves in the headlines for all the right reasons earlier this week, and Mikel Arteta has highlighted their excellence in the press.
‘He’s in a really good moment’
Noni Madueke was a controversial choice in the fanbase as a summer signing. He adds to the list of castaways from **Chelsea**who have turned up in North London, and a fee of £52 million might have been better spent on some other Premier League talent that has moved around in the offseason.
But the reaction to his signing was malicious in some circles, and he has quickly silenced those who suggested he had nothing useful to bring to the Gunners. Earning his first start against Leeds United on the left wing, he has since shown his strength on the right as a deputy for Bukayo Saka.
Arteta affirmed that he sees the 23-year-old as someone who can compete with the talismanic figure.
“When that day comes, that Bukayo is in his best condition and Noni the same, that's what we want and I'm happy to have him. Looking at what he's done with the national team as well, I spoke with Thomas Tuchel as well, very pleased with that. He's really good. He's in a really good moment.”
The winger was the biggest threat for **Arsenal**at Anfield, going at Milos Kerkez with his direct and persistent attitude. He carried on that good work against both **Andorra**and **Serbia**on national duty, showing courage and quality on the way to his first goal for **England**in an emphatic 5-0 victory.
Those who did their best to embrace Madueke are being vindicated by his efforts on the field.
“I think the welcome our supporters gave to Noni from day one was incredible. So, I don't know all the ways that people communicated the disagreement with that. But our supporters, they've been exceptional and rightly so, because he's an unbelievable player.”
‘Very interesting to learn what perception is'
Another player who made the most of his time on national duty has also been under scrutiny.
After a shoulder injury to Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Merino filled in for the club captain as the most advanced midfielder in the starting eleven at Anfield. With **Ethan Nwaneri**and Eberechi Eze on the bench, the defeat left fans questioning whether it was wise to pick such a conservative lineup.
The manager made clear he had no regrets about that choice. Merino might not mimic the midfield mobility of Ødegaard in the press, but he did not think it was best to throw an 18-year-old into the fire or gamble on a first start for his £68 million signing away at the Premier League champions.
The Spaniard has his qualities to bring to the table, too. He scored a goal against **Bulgaria**and then a hat-trick against **Turkey**in a 6-0 rout from a similar role for La Roja, highlighting his finishing skills.
“He did it from the midfield! Mikel has that ability. I heard some comments after Liverpool that we played three defensive midfielders, I think that was the narrative, no? Mikel had his hat-trick playing as an attacking midfielder, I don’t know when the last attacking midfielder scored three goals.”
It is worth remembering that **Spain**are one of the most ball dominant teams in international football, so there are more situations for Merino to focus on arriving in the box in the final third. Indeed, it was this specific context that Arteta waited for to unleash him as a makeshift striker against Leicester.
So, supporters might not have been wrong to wonder whether Merino should start at Liverpool. But the narrative about the 29-year-old has shifted a bit, and Arteta is always eager to block out the noise.
“So, very interesting to learn what the perception is, especially when you lose a football match and how important it is to analyse and understand your players' quality in order to make decisions that are based on what you understand daily, which is very clear as well.”