Arsenal starting XI vs Lille pose for a pre-match photo
Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal鈥檚 midfield is so stacked this season that some very good players are spending a lot of time on the bench.
Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly have been Mikel Arteta鈥檚 preferred pairing, but Bruno Guimaraes may well force his way into the team after his performances against Leeds and Lille. There’s also Martin Zubimendi who is still waiting for his chance in the league, although he is currently out with a knock.
Then you have one of the most important squad players in Mikel Merino, who is now essentially Arsenal鈥檚 fifth-choice central midfielder, the third-choice striker behind Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres, and an option behind Martin Odegaard in the number 10 role.
Mikel Merino says he can still contribute at Arsenal
Merino has made nine appearances this season, but every one of his Premier League outings has come off the bench. The 拢25million signing from Real Sociedad has started in the Champions League against Napoli and Lille, and in the EFL Cup against Ipswich, where he scored in the 4-2 win.
Speaking to El Larguero, the Spaniard was asked about his lack of game time and admitted it鈥檚 been different from previous seasons, when injuries elsewhere in the squad often pushed him into the team.
鈥淚鈥檝e tried to adapt as best I can to what the manager has needed, and this year will be no different. Whatever he needs, I鈥檓 there,鈥� Merino said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see myself as simply a player who can contribute during matches or as a starter. I think I can also contribute day to day, in training, and by providing leadership to the younger players. When I come on, I鈥檒l do whatever is required, depending on the circumstances of the match. So, as you know, I鈥檓 always ready.鈥�/p>
That鈥檚 the attitude you鈥檇 expect from him. When Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were injured in 2024/25, Merino was asked to play as an emergency striker and scored six goals there. Arteta even went back to that option a few times last season and he added another four.
He hasn鈥檛 played up front yet this season, which is a bit surprising given how Gyokeres is performing. The Swede hasn鈥檛 scored for Arsenal since May, and on current form there鈥檚 a real case that Merino would be the better option to lead the line.