Mikel Arteta's Arsenal Midfield Options: A Rising Standard
Mikel Arteta’s midfield options are starting to look frightening. And inside that crowded engine room, Mikel Merino can feel the standard rising with every session.
“Honestly, it’s unreal. Probably the best midfield in football,” the World Cup winner said, barely disguising his delight at the level around him. He knows every training drill is now an examination. Every game, a trial.
“The amount of quality that we have there, with every player that can come on the pitch and make a good shift. It’s great. That’s good for the team. That’s good for the squad. It raises everyone’s level because if you have a bad day, the one that is close to you is going to do a great job.”
That’s the reality at Arsenal now: drop your level and someone else steps in without hesitation.
“Amazing signing” and instant impact
Merino saved some of his strongest praise for the club’s new Brazilian arrival, a player he already knows well from his time in the Premier League.
“Amazing signing. He has proved throughout these years how good he is at Newcastle. And he showed it today again,” Merino said, pointing to yet another composed display from the midfielder.
“A lot of composure, technical ability, a lot of defensive effort as well. So it’s a very good signing. A top player, but we have many of those in this team. So everyone that comes to help the team is welcome.”
The Brazilian barely had time to unpack before he was pulling on a Gunners shirt. He featured in a pre-season clash against Italian side Como, refusing to ease himself in gently despite only just joining up with his new team-mates.
Arteta admitted the push came from the player himself.
“He's only had three training sessions, but he looked good. He was really pushing to play some minutes today,” the Arsenal manager told reporters. “He wanted to get his debut and the feeling of playing in front of our fans immediately. You sense it immediately. I believe there's a strong connection at play and that is going to make us better.”
Three sessions, one appearance, and already a sense that this is a piece that fits.
Hunger that doesn’t fade
Arsenal’s recent success could easily have bred comfort. It hasn’t. Inside the dressing room, Merino insists, the mood is very different.
“I think we have an amazing squad. The hunger is still there. Not because we won it last season, we’re going to be happy with it,” he said. “We want more and more and more and we want every trophy possible. That’s the best quality of this team. Not only the amount of depth that we have, the quality that we have in every position, but that hunger.”
Depth, quality, and a refusal to be satisfied: Arteta now has a midfield full of players fighting for minutes, and a group openly demanding “every trophy possible.”
With that blend of talent and restlessness, the real question is not whether Arsenal can compete again this season, but how far this midfield can drag them.
