Arteta & Merino assess his Arsenal start & debut vs PSG | OneFootball

Arsenal summer signing Mikel Merino finally made his debut for the Gunners on Tuesday, and Mikel Arteta is happy with what he’s seen from the midfielder.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Merino of Arsenal looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between Arsenal FC and Paris Saint-Germain on October 01, 2024. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Mikel Merino had far from the ideal start to life with Arsenal, picking up an injury in his first full training session with the team.

The timing of the setback was particularly poor, with the midfielder going on to miss big Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, as well as Arsenal’s first Champions League game in the new ‘league phase’ format.

It was initially expected that Merino would also miss Arsenal’s home game against Paris Saint-Germain, but he made a surprise return just in time for the encounter.

Though Arteta didn’t name Merino in his starting lineup, he did bring him on for the final 26 minutes, helping the Gunners to see out a 2-0 win.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between Arsenal FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Emirates Stadium on October 01, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

“Really good,” Arteta said of Merino’s debut afterwards. “Because he joined us and first session he got injured.

“He had only one (full training) session with us, he was ready, he was really willing to be part of this today and obviously with the injuries and changes we had to make, we believe that he was the player that could help us in that phase.

“I think he’s done really well.”

It was a combative start from the midfielder, who made two tackles, two clearances, and won four duels in less than half an hour on the pitch.

That was indeed what Arsenal needed in that moment, so it was an encouraging cameo.

Mikel Merino in training with Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal.com)

Merino also spoke to the media after the game, suggesting that joining Arsenal has already revolutionised his approach to football.

“They do some things that I’ve never seen in my career,” Merino told reporters. “The methods they use are completely new to me. It takes time to adapt but when you get it, you are at a different level.

“They challenge you every single day, not only physically, but mentally. That makes you be sharp. The mentality they have here is amazing.

“Winning trophies is the main thing here for everybody. I think they are obsessed with that, you can see winning is the main thing for us.”