Leicester City 0-2 Arsenal
by Layth Yousif
at Filbert Way 

UNLIKELY hero Mikel Merino grabbed two late goals to keep Arsenal in the Premier League title race — but only just.

In front of 31,968 at Filbert Way, Merino popped up with an unexpected brace in the 81st and 87th minutes, despite a deeply disjointed display by the visitors — not that delighted boss Mikel Arteta and their fans will care a jot this weekend.

The summer signing from Real Sociedad saved the Gunners after an underwhelming display that looked to be heading for a goalless draw against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s relegation battlers.

Speaking afterwards, Merino, who last scored a brace in a game back in June 2016, for Osasuna against Gimnastic in the Segunda Division play-offs, the 28-year-old said: “He [Mikel Arteta] told me to come in as a striker this morning. We were talking about it a little bit with one of the assistants. It is the first time in my career that I've played that position. 

“He told me to go with my strengths and luckily I could help the team with two goals today.”

When asked if Arteta plans to start him as a striker regularly, Arsenal’s humble hero Merino replied: “I don’t think so, to be honest. It is the first time I have scored a brace coming off the bench as a striker.”

Arsenal understandably started with the triumvirate of Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling and Leandro Trossard in an attacking trident, with the latter a False 9.

While fit again Ben White was back in the squad for the first time in four months, and started on the bench, after Kai Havertz joined Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the sidelines, following his serious hamstring injury during the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai last week. 

Foxes boss Van Nistelrooy made two changes from the FA Cup match with Manchester United, as Leicester aimed to capitalise on the Gunners’ lack of a recognised striker. 

On nine minutes, the home side’s Wilfred Ndidi tested David Raya who gathered the stinging shot.

Shortly afterwards, Nwaneri, who had a stellar match, crossed for Declan Rice, who headed wide, as the majority of the remainder of the first half turned into a disappointing spectacle in miserable conditions.

The problem of not having a striker was underlined in the 39th minute, when, with Gunners captain Martin Odegaard looking to find Trossard in space in a crowded box, the Norwegian lifted the ball over the Foxes’ backline with a beautiful delivery. Only for Trossard to miscontrol the ball, as the half-chance went awry.

Ndidi’s effort flew narrowly wide, as we reached half time goalless after a dire opening 45 minutes in cold, dank and miserable East Midlands weather.

From Rice’s corner on 59 minutes, Foxes defender Caleb Okoli’s inadvertent back header landed inches over Mads Hermansen’s bar and onto the roof of the net, with the Foxes No 5 morphing into an integral part of the Gunners’ set-piece tactics momentarily.

As the tempo finally rose, the outstanding Nwaneri’s shot moments later clipped the apex of the bar of post, after showing verve to cut inside two Leicester defenders.

It was Raya’s turn to prevent Bobby Decordova-Reid’s second-half effort.

With 16 minutes to go, the redoubtable Myles Lewis-Skelly somehow managed to get a vital touch, foiling Bobby de Cordova-Reid lurking close by, who was ready and willing to force Jordan Ayew's cross into the net, until the Gunners’ 18-year-old prevented what looked to be a certainty. 

Nwaneri then struck Hermansen’s near post as the visitors desperately hunted a goal that would change everything.

However, the goal would come when the unlikely figure of Merino, who replaced the ineffective Sterling on 66 minutes, headed home on 80 minutes, from Nwaneri’s perceptive cross. 

Cue pandemonium among the team, travelling support and the bench, as delirious Gooners celebrated what could turn out to be a crucial goal.

The celebrations had barely died down when Merino popped up with a second on 87 minutes with an excellent finish to make it 2-0 — and seal three precious points.

“Today was a tough game,” said Merino, adding: “But I think these games are the ones you need the spirit. Games like today are really good for the squad,” concluded the Gunners hero, as Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 15 games in the Premier League — their best sequence since 2011. 

With 13 games to go, the Gunners will have to extend that run for a lot longer if they want to challenge Liverpool for the title, perhaps with Merino as striker, after a day the midfielder, his teammates and manager, as well as fans, will never forget.