Mikel Merino summed up Arsenal’s performance in the North London Derby in the best way possible

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Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino didn’t need many words to sum up his first-ever start in the North London Derby.

The Gunners should have known that the Spaniard would have a heavy influence on the game, as Merino’s record against London clubs is impressive. 

Called into action by Mikel Arteta to replace Viktor Gyokeres, the 29-year-old led the line in the North London Derby, adding to his goal contribution tally by recording an assist.

Merino was an underrated performer against Spurs, fully stepping up to the task while getting his first taste of starting in the derby.

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Mikel Merino was spot on when he summed up the North London Derby 

After the game, the midfielder rushed to social media to share pictures of the game and celebrate Arsenal’s win.

While several of his Arsenal teammates taunted Tottenham on Instagram, Merino instead chose to simply sum the game up by captioning his post, “North London domination. RED!”

Merino couldn’t have described the game better if he had tried, as domination is exactly what unfolded over 90 minutes in N5.

Arsenal left Tottenham behind during the contest, bettering their rivals when it came to possession, expected goals, shots and big chances.

What was, perhaps, the most telling area of domination for the Gunners was in duels, as Arsenal won 76% of their tackles, while Tottenham won 57%, as per Sofascore. 

Being beaten in duels was a complaint that Thomas Frank had about his team after the game, as he told Sky Sports post-match.

Mikel Arteta has now created a new name for Merino’s role

Merino branded the game as one of domination, which is a fair depiction of not only his team’s performance, but his own, too.

The Spain international was at the top of his game when it mattered most, so much so that Arteta spent some time talking about his player post-match.

When asked to describe Merino’s position by reporters in his post-match press conference, the Arsenal manager responded, “I don’t know, a defensive nine.”

Before Merino’s baptism as a striker, describing a player as a ‘defensive nine’ would’ve been so puzzling, but now, it couldn’t be more on brand.