Mikel Merino has proven once again he can stand in at striker for Arsenal

Mikel Merino started up front for Arsenal in their 3-0 win against Slavia Prague and being no stranger to playing as a makeshift striker, he proved once again that he is a more than reliable stand-in in attack.

With Viktor Gyökeres unavailable for selection and Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus already long-term members of the injury list, the Gunners were left without an out-and-out centre forward for their trip to the Czech capital.

The Spaniard was Mikel Arteta's choice to lead the line at the Fortuna Arena and he did an excellent job, scoring twice and picking up the player of the match award, proving once again that he can stand in at striker for Arsenal.

Mikel Merino proves he is a suitable stand-in striker once again

When first playing as a striker for Arsenal against Leicester City in February, Merino had never been deployed in the position throughout his entire career. Fast forward nine months, he certainly doesn't look like someone who hadn't operated the role.

He played a big part in the Gunners' run-in, helping them secure Champions League football and aiding their journey to the semi-finals, ending the season with nine goals and five assists.

His goalscoring heroics carried over into international football and his best moment came when he scored a hat-trick against Turkey in September.

Merino's two strikes against Slavia Prague took his total tally for club and country in 2025 to 19 goals, a staggering amount for a player who is naturally a midfielder.

Despite his lack of career experience playing as a striker, the Spaniard has proven to be a reliable stand-in for Arsenal and showed on Tuesday night that he can continue to be that when his side require it.

It is far from ideal that Gyökeres is injured, especially as he was hitting a good run of form, but it's a relief for the Gunners that they have an option to turn to in the short term.

The hopes are that the Sweden international won't be absent for too long and is currently expected to return after the November international break, but Merino is certainly capable of standing in for him for that period.

He has already caused plenty of problems when playing up front this season and he is showing no signs of slowing down so will be hoping he can continue doing that whenever he is called upon by Arteta. There is no doubt he has continued to silence those who were quick to criticise his initial shift to striker.

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