Merino The Unlikely Hero, As Arsenal Defeat Leicester City

The Gunners are mounting a very much needed pressure on league leaders, Liverpool, after seeing off bottom-table Leicester City.

Facing the heartache of dropped points against a team fighting relegation, Mikel Merino came off the bench to score twice and provide an answer to Mikel Arteta’s injury crisis in attack.

The Spain international, who played in central midfield in the European Championship final last summer, came on as a “false nine” in a last-ditch attempt to find a breakthrough at the King Power Stadium.

Arsenal players pushed Merino in front of their fans and he danced to their tune, as one of the most unlikely heroes of their season emerged. Arteta’s team looked to be desperately missing Havertz before the late substitution was made, with the makeshift forward instantly causing Leicester problems.

Before Merino’s intervention, Arsenal looked towards the precocious talent of Ethan Nwaneri, to unlock Leicester. The teenager was Arsenal’s outstanding attacking player, running at his full-back, creating chances and having efforts himself that went close.

With England Under-19 caps under his belt, Nwaneri will surely be making another step closer towards the England squad next month, or perhaps even prompt Thomas Tuchel to have a look at him close up.

He ended up creating Merino’s first goal, floating a ball towards the far post that landed perfectly between Wout Faes and Woyo Coulibaly on to the head of Merino.

thewyreng