After a frustrating lay off owing to a shoulder injury suffered shortly after his move to Arsenal, Mikel Merino finally made his debut under the lights in N5 on Tuesday evening.
Merino replaced Thomas Partey in the second half, greeted by a remarkable reception from the Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium.
After he came on, the Spaniard looked to be playing alongside Declan Rice in the middle, Arsenal’s shape increasingly looked like an old-school 4-4-2.
Merino produced some nice touches on the edge of the Arsenal box, and managed to win possession back on two or three occasions with well timed tackles.
Despite his lack of football since the summer, it’s evident that Arsenal have bought a very clever player, one who has the physical attributes to match his footballing brain.
Ian Wright wants to see more of Mikel Merino and Declan Rice together
That being said, Ian Wright shared his immediate thoughts on Merino’s debut on the ‘Wrighty’s House’ podcast.
The Arsenal legend absolutely loved the reception the Spaniard received after being subbed on.
READ MORE: £85m forward who Arsenal want to sign spotted at the Emirates during win over PSG
Wright also hinted that Merino playing alongside Rice might be his new favourite pairing moving forward, perhaps at the expense of Partey.
Wright said: “Yeah it was great to see him, delighted to see him come on – you know what, he just looked very ready, didn’t he?”
He continued: “You know what was really good for him? Was for him to see, he’s not even really kicked a ball for us, and how much the fans were happy to see him.
“We’re going to need him, we’re going to need that energy, when him and Declan were in that midfield it just looked strong and physical and quick – it looked like we had legs in there.”
Mikel Arteta will be delighted with Arsenal’s game management
It was an excellent night all round for the Gunners, when they were able to see home a relatively comfortable win in the second half at a low tempo.
This Arsenal squad will become very tired very quickly, both mentally and physically, if they have to keep inspiring comebacks like they did against Leicester City on the weekend.
There’s a certain art to winning at a canter, and Mikel Arteta will be absolutely delighted with Tuesday’s second half efforts.
This Arsenal side are now akin to a winning machine, one with a perfect balance of defensive prowess and attacking flair.
That being said, French media have reacted to William Saliba’s display during PSG’s disappointing efforts in north London.
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