Declan Rice reacts with three words after Mikel Merino was made the Arsenal captain vs Brighton

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Mikel Merino was named as the Arsenal captain for their Carabao Cup clash against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Gunners have struggled against the Seagulls in recent years, but they were still viewed as the favourites to win the game at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta made 10 changes to his side on Wednesday night. Some of them were forced due to injuries, while others were to give opportunities to the squad players.

Merino started in the middle of the park, and he led the side very well.

Declan Rice hails Mikel Merino after his first game as Arsenal captain

Mikel Merino has only been an Arsenal player for a little over a year.

The Spaniard joined the Gunners from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2024, and he has had his ups and downs in the famous red and white.

Merino suffered an injury that he didn’t think was possible in his very first training session at Arsenal, and that made things difficult early on.

However, the 29-year-old produced a number of brilliant performances in the second half of last season, when he was used as a striker.

Those performances, combined with his character, made Arteta name Merino in the Arsenal leadership group for this season.

On Wednesday against Brighton, for the very first time, the Euro 2024 winner started a game as Arsenal’s captain.

Merino took to Instagram to share his milestone moment and wrote: “Proud and honoured! To have the chance to represent this club and group of players as a captain tonight was unbelievable.

“Thank you, everyone, for the messages and support. Not a better way to do it than with the win and the ticket to the next round. COYG!”

Declan Rice, who is also a part of the Arsenal leadership group, replied: “Fully deserved, brother!”

Mikel Merino proved once again that he is not a defensive midfielder

There has been a lot of talk from certain pundits about Arsenal’s use of Merino.

The Spaniard was described as a defensive midfielder by some, which was a laughable claim at the time. Now, it looks even more silly.

Against Brighton, Merino pulled off an incredible backheel to send Myles Lewis-Skelly through. The teenager squared the ball to Ethan Nwaneri, who found the net to give Arsenal the lead.

Without Merino’s vision and inventive pass, that goal wouldn’t have happened. That shows the 29-year-old is as complete a midfielder as they come, and Arsenal are lucky to have him.