David Raya reveals Mikel Arteta’s plan for Mikel Merino after heroic Arsenal experiment

Mikel Arteta turned to midfielder Mikel Merino in the hope of solving Arsenal’s forward crisis against Leicester and the Spaniard repaid his manager with two goals

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya doesn’t think that Mikel Arteta will give Mikel Merino a surprise start up front against West Ham, despite his heroics last weekend.

Merino, a midfielder by trade, was thrown on to lead the line for the final 20 minutes away to Leicester. Arteta’s decision proved a masterstroke, with his £28.4million signing scoring both goals, including a well-taken header, firing Arsenal to a crucial 2-0 win.

The Gunners are currently short of forward options, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli still injured, and Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz ruled out for the rest of this season. That’s left Arteta with a front three of Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri.

But Merino’s heroics off the bench have led some to suggest that the Spain international will replace Sterling in Arteta’s starting lineup when West Ham visit the Emirates on Saturday. Raya, though, would be shocked.

“I’m not too sure,” the Arsenal goalkeeper admitted on the Seaman Says podcast with Betway. “I think the demands as a striker in our team are very, very high. It’s different. It’s different work, different pressing than that you play as an 8 or as a striker.

“So maybe he’ll rotate with another players. But I don’t think he will start as a striker. I think if he plays, he plays an eight and then he might go to the striker. I don’t know how the gaffer is going to do it. I just leave that for the gaffer. That’s his decision. He will make the best decision for the team, that’s for sure.”

Raya went on to reveal that Merino hadn’t even trained as a striker in the build-up to facing Leicester, although he did spot a telling conversation. “I think they (Arteta and Merino) had a chat [in training] because we always do a walk on matchdays,” the Gunners shot-stopper, who plays alongside Merino for Spain, recalled.

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“And then he was speaking to Moli (assistant coach Miguel Molina) saying, ‘What would you think about playing as a striker because we might need you there?’

“So, he didn’t train as a striker once. He just came on and then because he’s so intelligent and he reads the game very well, he gets into that position. He reads the game very, very well. Obviously, I know him from playing with the national team.

“He scored a very similar goal in the Euros against Germany and that was when he was playing as an eight. But those type of balls for him is his bread and butter. He’s so good in the air. He reaches the ball very, very well and then it’s just a fantastic header.”

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