It was at Arsenal’s team hotel on Saturday morning that Mikel Merinowas first informed he may be used as a striker against Leicester.
Merino had read in the media that he might be an emergency option upfront, but there had been no hint of a position switch in training.
It therefore came as a surprise to the Spaniard when one of Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff told him he really could be used as a makeshift frontman.
Moments before Merino was thrown on for the final 20 minutes at the King Power Stadium, he was collared by Arteta for some final instructions.It turned out to be a masterstroke. Merino’s two goals in the final 10 minutes secured a 2-0 win and, crucially, meant Arsenal kept pace with Liverpool in the title race.
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