Declan Rice sends two-word message to Mikel Merino after Arsenal blitz
Arsenal kept their hopes of winning silverware alive this season in emphatic style with a historic goal blitz in the Champions League on Tuesday (4 March).
The Gunners thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash, becoming the first team in Champions League history to score seven goals away from home in a knockout match.
It was complete domination from Mikel Arteta’s men from the moment Jurrien Timber opened the scoring in the 18th minute as Ethan Nwaneri then followed it up three minutes later.
Mikel Merino added to it in the 31st minute, with goals from Leandro Trossard, Riccardo Calafiori, and a Martin Odegaard brace wrapping things up.
Arsenal have now put one foot firmly in the quarter-final stage of the competition after the special performance.
It was the first time Arsenal have scored seven goals in a game since 2012 when they beat Newcastle 7-3 in the Premier League, showcasing how rare a night such as this is.
Declan Rice celebrates Arsenal’s makeshift striker
There has been huge question marks over how Arsenal would perform throughout the remainder of the season without a traditional number nine after the squad had been bombarded with injuries.
Kai Havertz is out for the entire season due to a torn hamstring, while their other striker Gabriel Jesus is in the same position due to his own injury.
Merino has stepped up as an unexpected striker for Arteta’s men and Declan Rice sent him a message on Instagram to praise his performance by saying, “My Guy!!”
Mikel Merino has proven he can be a goalscorer
Merino becoming a number nine is something that few people expected to see this season given he is a traditional box-to-box midfielder who would be playing alongside Rice.
However, the 28-year-old has now scored three goals since being moved into that position by Arteta, proving that the Arsenal boss may have found a genuine solution to this problem.
| Match Stats | Merino |
| Minutes Played | 77 |
| Accurate Passes | 20/27 (74%) |
| Touches | 42 |
| Tackles Won | 1/2 (50%) |
Merino also provided an assist against PSV as he proved his attacking qualities could be enough to lead them to Champions League glory for the first time in history.
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