Merino Strikes Twice as Arsenal Sweep Slavia Prague to Extend Winning Run

Prague: Midfielder-turned-striker Mikel Merino continued his remarkable reinvention up front, scoring twice as Arsenal cruised to a 3–0 victory over Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

With Viktor Gyökeres sidelined by a muscle injury that manager Mikel Arteta described as “concerning,” Merino stepped up once again, filling the void with composure and class. After Bukayo Saka’s penalty opened the scoring, Merino added two more — a composed finish from Leandro Trossard’s cross and a fine header from Declan Rice’s delivery — sealing Arsenal’s fourth consecutive win in Europe and their 10th straight victory in all competitions.

“It’s a joy to have him,” Arteta said post-match. “We’re missing a lot of attacking players, and we have to find different solutions. He comes into the Champions League and scores two goals.”

Merino, 29, has now netted three goals this season and continues to impress after being deployed as a makeshift No.9 — a role he last played as a child. His intelligence, timing, and leadership have made him a key figure in Arteta’s injury-hit squad.

Arteta’s attacking options remain stretched with Gyökeres, Havertz, Martinelli, Madueke, and Ødegaard all injured, but Merino’s adaptability has kept Arsenal firing.

“This team doesn’t care who is injured,” said Merino. “Same mentality, same fire. I’m just trying to feel the role of the number nine — even though I’m not a born striker — and help the team with goals.”

Arsenal, who lead the Premier League and are through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, now turn their focus to maintaining momentum as they chase their first major trophy since 2020.