Arsenal's striker crisis may have found an unexpected solution in Mikel Merino, who emerged as the hero in their crucial 2-0 victory at Leicester City. The Spain midfielder, signed from Real Sociedad for £32.6m last August, stepped into an emergency striker role and delivered a match-winning performance that could reshape Arsenal's attacking plans.
With the Gunners struggling to break down Leicester's resistance and their title pursuit losing momentum, manager Mikel Arteta made a bold decision in the 69th minute. He replaced an ineffective Raheem Sterling with Merino, transforming the midfielder into an impromptu forward.
The tactical gamble paid off brilliantly. The 6ft 2in Spaniard demonstrated his aerial prowess by heading home from Ethan Nwaneri's cross with nine minutes remaining, before adding a confident finish three minutes later to secure the victory. The win keeps Arsenal within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, albeit having played an extra game.
Merino's unexpected striking debut came as a surprise even to himself. "It was big news for me this morning when one of the assistants told me this was an option," he revealed to BBC Match Of The Day. "It's the first time in my career that I've played in this position, but the good thing is that the way this team plays, everyone knows what to do."
Arteta praised Merino's natural goalscoring instincts: "Mikel has a sense of danger and great timing in the box. He can smell danger. He can anticipate the action. He's got really good timing to arrive in certain areas and execute."
The match also showcased the remarkable talent of 17-year-old Nwaneri, who was Arsenal's creative spark throughout. The teenager hit the woodwork twice and provided the assist for Merino's opening goal. Another young player, Myles Lewis-Skelly, made a crucial defensive intervention to deny Leicester a clear scoring opportunity.
The victory extended Arsenal's unbeaten Premier League run to 15 games - their best sequence since Arsene Wenger's tenure between December 2010 and April 2011. This remarkable achievement has been accomplished despite the absence of key forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus through injury.
In a touching post-match moment, Merino dedicated his performance to his wife: "I forgot to give my wife something for Valentine's Day so this goes to her. I think she will appreciate this more than a rose and some chocolate."
The match highlighted Sterling's ongoing struggles, with the former England forward looking short of confidence before being substituted. However, Merino's unexpected success in attack may have given Arteta a viable solution to his striker shortage as Arsenal continue their title challenge.
