Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has lavished praise on a Gunners who’s done something he never expected.
Arsenal look to extend unbeaten run against Brentford
Arsenal return to the Emirates tonight seeking to rebuild momentum against Brentford following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea, where Arteta’s side failed to capitalize on their one-man advantage despite playing almost an hour against ten men.
The north Londoners have also seen their five-point lead atop the Premier League table reduced to two after Man City’s thrilling 5-4 win away to Fulham on Tuesday, so nothing but a win will do against one of the worst away teams in the division this evening.
Arteta faces selection dilemmas ahead of Brentford’s visit, with defensive concerns persisting following the unexpected absence of both first-choice centre-backs at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham
Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
William Saliba suffered a training ground injury in the build up to Chelsea, compounding Gabriel Magalhaes’ absence and marking only the second occasion in 162 matches both defenders have missed simultaneously.
It could well be the third time in 163 matches against Brentford, with Saliba a doubt for tonight’s clash and Gabriel still weeks away from returning to the field.
Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten streak has now reached 17 matches across all competitions, yet Arteta demands improvements following the Chelsea stalemate. The Gunners managed just eight shots at Stamford Bridge – their lowest total in any Premier League fixture this season.
Related
Arsenal hold new talks with Juventus star who Alonso has recommended to Real Madrid
The Gunners are ‘captivated’ by him.
Leandro Trossard, who’s been in excellent form with 10 goal contributions already this term, looks set to miss the Brentford game with Havertz also suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.
Mikel Arteta says Merino has took him by surprise at Arsenal
Bearing this in mind, if Arteta doesn’t start Viktor Gyokeres, then makeshift number nine Mikel Merino could well be handed another chance to impress.
The Spain international has been nothing short of extraordinary in a very unfamiliar role, scoring 20 goals this calendar year for club and country, and Arteta has now had his say on the matter.
When asked by reporters whether he thought Merino could become a striker like this, Arteta admitted the 29-year-old has taken him completely by surprise.
“As a striker, certainly not,” Arteta said in his pre-Brentford press conference.
“But that’s the thing as well, that you learn when you sign a player. I knew that he could offer much more than what he had, and especially after I met him for the first time, because a player that has that amount of curiosity and the amount of questions that he’s asked, how willing he is to learn constantly, the way he loves his profession and football, it’s difficult to put limits to that because when someone wants to grow every single day, is that determined, is that hungry to win and evolve and to be part of something, that’s very powerful and Mikel certainly has that.”
Merino’s equaliser ensured that Arsenal’s unbeaten streak didn’t end in west London on Sunday, and the former Newcastle star has fast become a fan favourite.
2025 has been a real year to remember for the midfielder, who was one of Edu’s final signings before his departure as sporting director late last year.
Arteta can take a lot of the credit for transforming Merino into an attacking powerhouse and having the initiative to experiment with him up front, but the versatile star has seized that opportunity with both hands.
