Mikel Merino captained Arsenal and found the net at Ipswich as Mikel Arteta praised the midfielder’s intelligence, versatility and growing influence within the squad.
Mikel Arteta has claimed Mikel Merino is among the most intelligent players he has ever worked with after another influential display from the Arsenal midfielder.
Merino wore the captain’s armband as Arsenal made a number of changes for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup trip to Ipswich Town, as the Gunners went on to secure a 4-2 victory and a place in the fourth round.
The Spanish midfielder also found the net at Portman Road, continuing to show the goal threat which has become an increasingly useful part of his game for both club and country.
Asked afterwards about Merino’s growing leadership within the squad, Arteta went considerably further than simply praising his performance on the night.
“He’s unbelievable,” Arteta said. “First of all, he’s one of the most intelligent players that I’ve seen, I’ve worked with.”
That intelligence has allowed Merino to fill several different roles since arriving in North London, having arrived primarily as a midfielder, but has been asked to operate in different areas when required due to a variety of injury issues that the Gunners have dealt with.
Merino has also become a player Arsenal can look to around the opposition penalty area. His ability to arrive late and attack space has brought a different source of goals from midfield, and Arteta highlighted the range of things he can offer within the same performance.
“On top of that obviously he has qualities that are unique in football and in our team,” Arteta said.
“His capacity to arrive in, the capacity to occupy different places, to play in different positions, to link play with people and, as a midfielder, the ability he has to score goals like tonight.”
There was another part of Arteta’s answer which perhaps explained why Merino was trusted with the armband at Ipswich and lead a heavily rotated squad .The Arsenal manager spoke about a player who thinks beyond his own role in the side and has become an important presence around the group.
“The personality is just full of... I don’t know, he just wants to give to everybody,” Arteta said. “He thinks about everything, he thinks about everybody.”
Merino’s first season at Arsenal required him to adapt quickly, with his role often changing depending on the players available around him. That versatility has remained valuable, but he has returned from a World Cup-winning summer with added confidence and authority, having scored two knockout stage winners through the tournament. Being handed the armband at Portman Road was another indication of how his standing within Arteta’s squad has grown, despite further recruitment in midfield this summer.
With Arsenal competing across several competitions and Arteta continuing to rotate through a demanding schedule, players capable of moving between positions without disrupting the structure of the side carry obvious value.
The goal at Ipswich will add to the more visible parts of Merino’s contribution for the Gunners, but Arteta’s post-match comments suggested the qualities he values most are not always the ones that show up on a scoresheet.
