Paul Merson hits out at Mikel Arteta for ‘absolutely mind-blowing’ decision at Arsenal

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Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has hit out at Mikel Arteta for playing Mikel Merino as a striker, describing it as “mind-blowing”.

It comes as the Spaniard was handed a second opportunity as a make-shift centre-forward for the clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Merino scored a brace against Leicester from the bench the match before, thrusting himself to the forefront of the striker conversation.

A quiet afternoon in Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham just raised questions over the forward situation for the side yet again.

It has all left Paul Merson baffled by the decisions the head coach has made since the injuries suffered up front.

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Paul Merson slams Mikel Merino striker experiment for Arsenal

Following Mikel Merino’s switch to striker for Arsenal in their defeat to West Ham, questions have once again surfaced over the forward options.

With a lack of centre-forward players available, Mikel Arteta is working with very little as he attempts to shuffle his hand slightly.

For Paul Merson though, the decision to play Merino up front was a poor one, even though he scored twice the week before.

He said on Sky Sports: “Hard position to play, centre-forward.

“There are not many top centre-forwards around, it’s a difficult position to play. To just throw people up there and expect them to do the magic, especially when they’ve never played there before, for me, is mind-blowing really.

“Absolutely mind-blowing. He [Merino] looked like a fish up a tree if I’m being honest, I don’t mean disrespect to him. He’s a holding midfield player.”

It remains to be seen whether Arteta will stick with that move heading into the Nottingham Forest clash or if he will look elsewhere within his squad for a striker.

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Arsenal face striker dilemma against Nottingham Forest

For a moment, it seemed as though the striker issue had been solved as Merino emerged as a potential candidate.

The midfielder is capable of finding space, has an aerial threat and the ability to find the back of the net in some scenarios.

However, the positional discipline needed to sniff out a goal is still tough, not least against big, physical centre-backs.

The challenge doesn’t get much easier next up as Nottingham Forest await, who are known for being a physical side.

Whether Arteta opts for Merino or looks elsewhere is a decision he will have to make.