Alan Shearer thinks one player gave Arsenal ‘more freedom’ vs Ipswich – it’s surprising

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Arsenal beat Ipswich Town in a rather uneventful contest to round off 2024’s action on the pitch.

Mikel Arteta watched his side dominate Ipswich all over the field however, there was only one goal to show for the hosts’ efforts. 

Kai Havertz netted the match-winner in the first half, a goal created by Leandro Trossard, who impressed on the left side.

In what was a bleak 90 minutes of football, Arsenal’s main concern was earning three points, seeing the Gunners head into the new year in second place.

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Alan Shearer praises impact of Mikel Merino

In what was Arsenal’s audition without Bukayo Saka, who has been ruled out for weeks with injury, the Gunners failed to really excite going forward.

That was until the second-half produced a flurry of goalscoring chances, with one player making all the difference, according to Alan Shearer.

The legendary Premier League talisman hailed substitute Mikel Merino for his performance when coming on in the 72nd minute. 

“There’s been more movement with Merino coming on,” Shearer said on Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of the fixture. 

“[There’s been] more freedom, Martinelli has moved around, Havertz has certainly moved around.”

Merino replaced Gabriel Jesus to see Havertz restored to the front line, an inspired change that Shearer noticed had given Arsenal an extra dimension going forward.

Some will be surprised by the pundit’s view on the game, as Arsenal fans haven’t been too impressed by Merino’s impact following his summer arrival from Real Sociedad.

Unclear verdict on Merino’s start to life at Arsenal 

Arsenal were adamant on bringing the Spaniard to the club in the summer, paying £31m to welcome the midfielder to the Emirates.

During his time at Arsenal, Merino has been named a ‘flop’ by the media, and is yet to truly convince Arteta to move up the pecking order. 

The 28-year-old can offer the Gunners something different, as seen in his short cameo against Ipswich however, there’s some reservations over his suitability to be a starter. 

Fortunately, Arsenal are rather well stocked in the position, handing Arteta the opportunity to challenge his players to fight for the right to play.