Merino’s Brace as NO 9 of Arsenal cuts the gap at the top of four points

Arsenal moved four points behind the leaders of the Premier League Liverpool after double Mikel Merino saw Leicester City 2-0.

Faced by the last Everton draw at the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday, Arsenal took the opportunity to close the Liverpool gap, although they had to be patients on Saturday.

After losing Kai Hvertz for an injury that ended the season, Mikel Arteta was without a recognized striker at the King Power Stadium, where visitors finally required an excellent cameo of the midfielder Merino.

Dispared at the top after replacing Raheem Sterling, Merino headed from the excellent cross of Ethan Nwaneri, the latter after having hit the wood twice, to break the dead point in the 81st minute.

Merino doubled his account six minutes later, sealing a victory that consolidates the place of the arsenal in second place. Leicester remains in the last three, two security points.

How the game was developed

A first half without incident saw a small action of Goalmouth, with the Wilfred Ndidi volley from the edge of the box comfortably gathered by David Raya.

Although the arsenal dominated the possession, Ndidi again approached just before the break, sending his header of a brilliant torque for being brilliantly chosen by the perverse installment of Victor Kristiansen.

The visitors improved after part time and almost advanced through the impressive Nwaneri, which moved the crossbar with a beating effort before seeing another good attempt inclined to the right post by Mads Hermansen.

But then it was a case of Merino’s show. Nwaneri became a supplier with a delicately high delivery from the right, with the International of Spain directing its header out of the reach of Hermansen.

Merino doubled to conclude the points, planting home a left end after holding to the center of Leandro Trosssard left.

Is Merino Arteta’s attack response?

After confirming that Havertz would lose the rest of the season earlier this week, and with Gabriel Jesús and Bukayo Saka also out of play with long -term injuries, Arteta may have found the man leading his line in the future foreseeable in Merino .

It was the first time that Arsenal began without at least one of Havertz, Jesús or Saka in the Premier League from a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on the last day of the 2020/21 campaign, with Nwaneri, Trosssard and Sterling receives assent.

And apart from the head of Declan Rice, the Gunners rarely threatened in the first half, perhaps until the lack of fluidity in their attack. Arsenal was caught four times before the break, while fighting Leicester.

In the 69th minute, Arteta returned to his bank and transferred Merino to the top of his attack; It was an inspired substitution that could have helped maintain his team firmly in the race for the title.

Merino, who has started only eight Premier League games this season, can now be found in the initial XI more regularly while Arteta seeks Arsenal for Arsenal.

The foxes went wobble after another late show

After going to Manchester United in the fashion of disputes in the FA Cup last week, Leicester got rid of the final stages again, denying what could have proven to be a vital point in their fight to stay awake.

Ayew almost gave the supporters of the Foxes something to encourage within the first minute after breaking behind the Arsenal defense, before Raya stopped the volley of Ndidi.

Ndidi should have done it better with his head opportunity at the end of the first half, but in the search for Leicester because of the aperture goal, they were exposed in the back, and finally got rid of two moments of quality.

A potentially crucial moment occurred eight minutes before the arsenal took the lead, with the delivery of Ayew through the goal almost finding Bobby de Cordova-Reid on the back, but Myles Lewis-Skellly was available to turn brightly The ball for a corner for a corner.

Despite a positive exhibition in many ways, with the arsenal limited to a few clear opportunities, it was another disappointing result for the Ruud Van Nistelrooy team, who welcomed Brentford to King Power Stadium in his next departure from the Premier League.

Club reports

Leicester report | Arsenal report

What the managers said

Ruud van Nistelrooy: “It was a game of thin margins. Of course, the arsenal was in some way the dominant side. We did well controlling them and in the ball we had our spells. The turning point in the game was its goal, but that is also what is also what I am what I mediate by thin margins. “

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Key facts

Arsenal has extended its undefeated streak to 15 games in the Premier League (W10 D5), its longest running without defeat since it was 16 games between December 2010 and April 2011 below OSersene Wenger.

Leicester has lost nine of his last 10 Premier League games (W1), going 18 games without maintaining a clean sheet from a 1-0 victory against Bournemouth in October.

Mikel Merino became the first Arsenal player to score twice as a substitute in a Premier League game from Gabriel Martinelli against Crystal Palace in January 2024 and the first to do it away from home from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against Fulham in Craven Cottage in October 2018.

Ethan Nwaneri (17 years 331d) became the youngest arsenal player to help a goal from the Premier League from Aaron Ramsey against Blackburn (17 years 262) in September 2008.