Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has questioned if one Arsenal star is good enough for the team, despite an impressive display against Brentford.
It comes as the Gunners managed to secure all three points against the Bees, despite trailing early to Bryan Mbeumo’s strike.
Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli completed a turnaround for Arsenal, one that was much-needed for the Premier League title race picture.
Even with the impressive display from Mikel Arteta and his team, there were a few questions surrounding one star in the side and his quality.
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Mikel Merino questioned by Troy Deeney despite Arsenal goal vs Brentford
Mikel Merino joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad in the 2024 summer transfer window for a fee worth roughly £31.6million.
The midfielder had something of a slow start for the Gunners though, following a shoulder injury that would keep him sidelined for the first few months of the season.
It came as a blow for the Spaniard, who had not been given the time to get off to the start that he would’ve preferred.
Since then, Merino has been in and out of the side and while he hasn’t been as key as many expected, he is still contributing.
The 28-year-old scored the second goal in the clash with Brentford and an impressive display led to plenty of praise.
Even though Merino made it into Troy Deeney’s Team of the Week, there were still some questions from the former striker.
He said on BBC Sport: “He [Merino] was quality [against Brentford]. I’m not sure if he’s going to be up to the level of Arsenal but I’m going to give him until next year with a pre-season.
“He’s neat, tidy, very fluid in the way he plays. He can go as a six, he can go as an eight, he just keeps the ball ticking over really well. I bet as a team-mate he’s excellent to have in your team.”
It may have been a bizarre comment to make after such a vital performance against Brentford, but many reservations appear to be held by fans over Merino.
It’s unclear just how much of a success his transfer will be, though it’s fair to say he has hardly had a settled start to life at the Emirates Stadium.
What Mikel Arteta has said about Mikel Merino
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta gave a glowing review of Merino after his impressive display against Brentford on Wednesday night.
Speaking to the press, he said: “Very good. It is because he deserves it, and the type of game we had to play.
“The amount of density they defend with when they are deep requires people with a lot of threat in the box. He is a master of that.
“We believe with the unit on the left we could have the dynamics we wanted. He scored a very very important goal again. He is always there, a big threat. Great to have these options.”
Merino has become a particular threat with his late box runs as well as his ability from crosses and set-pieces.
While he may not always make the line-breaking passes required, he does offer something different to the team.
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