Arsenal beat Leeds United 5-0 on Saturday evening as Mikel Arteta’s attention immediately switches to Liverpool.
The Gunners were a little flat against Manchester United last week, sneaking a 1-0 win thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s goal.
Calafiori vowed to win trophies after that game, but even Arsenal fans would accept that better performances would be required.
That arrived on Saturday, as Arsenal hammered Leeds United 5-0 with an impressive display at the Emirates Stadium.
Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres both bagged braces, while Bukayo Saka also found the net in a comfortable Arsenal win.
It wasn’t all positive news, though, as both Saka and Martin Odegaard were taken off with injuries ahead of facing Liverpool next weekend.
Mikel Merino during the Emirates Cup for Arsenal.
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Gary Neville makes Mikel Merino prediction
The Athletic claim that the injuries for Saka and Odegaard aren’t thought to be serious, though they could still miss out at Anfield next weekend.
This is a huge game for just the third fixture of the season, with last season’s top title rivals locking horns early on in the campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s thinking may have already turned to that game, while Liverpool don’t face Newcastle United until Monday night.
If Odegaard misses out, Arteta may need a rethink in midfield, as it would be bold to start Ethan Nwaneri at Anfield.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, Gary Neville suggested that he thinks Arteta will start with Mikel Merino in midfield to replace Odegaard.
Neville believes that Arteta will want the ‘more physical’ attributes of Merino over Nwaneri, and the Spaniard will slot in alongside Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
“In midfield you’ve got Zubimendi, you’ve got Rice, and you’ve got Merino, you’ve got Nwaneri, so you’ve got players,” said Neville.
“I think he’ll bring Merino in. I think what he’ll do is he’ll make it a lot stronger, a lot more physical. That’s what I would do, and I think that’s what Mikel Arteta will do; he’ll go with one of his more powerful players in there.
“You think of a midfield of Rice, Merino and Zubimendi, with Eze, Gyokeres and Madueke, that’s still a fantastic front six – and they’ve got the best back five in the country at this moment in time,” he added.
Mikel Merino’s role so far this season
We saw Merino feature as a striker at times last season, but that looks unlikely to happen again this term – even with Kai Havertz now out injured.
The Spaniard is instead expected to drop back into a midfield role, his more natural position and the reason why Arsenal signed Merino in the first place.
The 29-year-old could be thrown in against Liverpool, but he isn’t exactly up to speed just yet this season.
Merino came on to play just seven minutes off the bench against Manchester United, but was an unused substitute against Leeds United on Saturday.
That isn’t exactly ideal preparation for a starting role at Anfield, but Arteta may trust him to play a key role next Sunday.