The Arsenal squad are preparing to go their separate ways for the November international break.
Mikel Arteta will be anxiously waiting back at Colney for his players to return hopefully unscathed from international duty.
Both the September international break and the October break saw injury plague the squad, with Martin Odegaard only now returning from his blow.
There’s optimism that when the Arsenal squad regroup, their form will improve however for now, many will be disappointed with the recent draw against Chelsea.
Mikel Merino impressed against Chelsea
In what some considered to be a must-win match, Arsenal drew 1-1 with their London rivals at Stamford Bridge, seeing the Gunners head into the break nine points below league leaders Liverpool.
Despite not sealing the win against the Blues, there were some positives to take from the result, with some shining brightly and others having minimal impact.
One player who might have surprised some with his cameo was summer signing Mikel Merino, who came on for 19 minutes to replace the injured Declan Rice.
| Mikel Merino vs Chelsea |
| 19 minutes played |
| 28 touches |
| 84% pass completion |
| 100% long balls completed |
| 100% dribbles completed |
| 5/6 duels won |
| 1 shot on target |
| 1 interception |
The Spaniard has had several difficult games since joining Arsenal in the summer however, the midfielder gave a glimpse of what he’s capable of against Chelsea.
As seen above, Merino brought control to the game in Rice’s absence in what was an all-round stellar display, besides his missed chance on goal.
It was a performance that was needed from the 28-year-old after a trialling night at the San Siro earlier in the week, giving Arteta something to think about when the international break concludes.
Arsenal will be watching Merino on international duty
Criticism of Merino has been harsh considering that the Spaniard is undergoing the tough challenge of adapting to the Premier League after excelling in Spain.
The midfielder’s showing against Chelsea portrayed that the summer arrival is close to settling in under Arteta, giving the former Real Sociedad ace some confidence to take into the international break.
Merino will head on duty with teammate David Raya for Spain’s Nations League fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland, two clashes that will be of great interest to Arteta.
For Merino, it’s about finding a place to discover balance at Arsenal, which the manager might find inspiration from when watching his player in action for his country.
In Luis de la Fuente’s squad, the Spaniard’s position is of course central however, can vary between defensive and offensive roles due to the depth the Euro 2024 winners are blessed with.
For Arteta, it will be interesting to see what makes his £32m signing tick in a three-man midfield, something he will properly adopt when he returns to Arsenal now that Odegaard is back fit.
With his favoured midfield trio ready to become better acquainted after the break, the time is now for Merino to continue to impress ahead of some possibly decisive domestic challenges.
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