This year was a surprising season for Arsenal fans.
For example, many people have not been convinced that they have seen the dramatic collapse of Manchester City appearing, or have seen Liverpool’s sensational form under the new boss Arne Slot.
But perhaps what shocked the fans you most told them in the summer is the fact that, for all intents and purposes, Mikel Merino is now the club’s first number nine.
Without strengthening the frontline, an absurd number of injuries forced Mikel Arteta to play the Spaniards for more than a month.
Arteta Merino alternative
It’s worth looking at some of the other members of Squad Arteta before reaching the player in question, but perhaps you shouldn’t rely on it as a Merino alternative.
The first option that will almost certainly be filled with important rebound is to bring Raheem Sterling back into the starting lineup.
Now, the argument is that he played as a central striker a few times ago and has a pretty decent record when doing so.
Sterling’s CF record in City | |
---|---|
exterior | 28 |
start | twenty one |
Min | 2037′ |
the goal | 14 |
assist | 6 |
Involvement of goals for each match | 0.71 |
Per target engagement | 101.85 |
All statistics through the transfer market |
But that was a long time ago, and to put it diplomatically, he was disastrous for the gunners this term.
The second option is to play Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli. This is much more popular than previous ideas, but there are still some issues.
For example, neither player is particularly good this season, with the former earning 13 goals involved in 43 games and the latter earning 11 at 38, so it seems unwise at this point to have them as the club’s focus offensive points.
Furthermore, if Arteta plays the Belgian on the left and the Brazilian on the right, he can make the bold and potentially right decisions that play the club’s most exciting attacker in the middle.
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Arsenal star that should replace Merino
With Bukayosaka unlikely to start the game for a few more weeks, it’s fair to say that Ethan Nu Waneri is the most exciting player on the team right now, and Arteta should be bold enough to start him on top instead of Merino.
There is certainly a debate right now that such decisions put a lot of pressure on young people. That’s true, but he shows that pressure has little meaning for him this season.
Furthermore, the potential advantage of starting such dynamic and sharp players at the tip of the spear is enormous and can help the team reach some form ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid next month.
Nuwaneri’s 24/25 | |
---|---|
exterior | 29 |
start | 12 |
Min | 1087′ |
the goal | 8 |
assist | 1 |
Involvement of goals for each match | 0.31 |
Per target engagement | 120.77′ |
All statistics through the transfer market |
For example, despite playing just 1,087 minutes in the first team appearance of the season in the 29th minute, Jack Wilsher dubbed “often ‘unplayable’ aces scored eight goals and provided one assist.
That is, at just 18 years old, the Hale End superstar averages goal involvement every 120.77 minutes. This is what comes for the winger, as midfielders have a great rate of return.
Finally, it would not be surprising if this idea was already in Arteta’s mind. Because it was in December that he told the press that his instinctive ability to end his teenage sense could develop into a striker.
“Ethan can play as a right-off midfielder, leaving the attacking midfielder as a right winger, and there is another position he can develop in a few years.
Ultimately, Merino is doing his best in the situation, but the manager plays someone who can make the most of his goalscoring opportunities to the top, and from what he’s seen this season, it could be Nuwaneri.
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