Mikel Merino sends message to fans after Arsenal beaten by PSG
Mikel Merino took to social media to share a message to Arsenal fans after the defeat to PSG.
The Spaniard was used in his more conventional position as a central-midfielder against the Parisians, with Leandro Trossard leading the line for the Gunners.
However, that tactical switch backfired as the Belgian struggled mightily up against PSG’s defensive duo of Willian Pacho and Marquinhos, with Arsenal missing Merino’s physical presence up top.
Following Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute opener, the Gunners rode their luck for much of the match, although they were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Merino was brought down by Joao Neves.
Ultimately, although a 1-0 loss to PSG was not the worst result for Mikel Arteta’s side, they will have their work cut out for them in the return leg in Paris on Wednesday (7 May).
Mikel Merino ‘full of energy’ heading into second-leg
Following the loss, Merino shared a photo of himself in action to his Instagram story, captioned: “Still a whole lot of football to play. Full of energy and conviction going into the second leg! COYG”.
Whilst signed to be a central-midfielder, the Spaniard has impressed as a makeshift striker, scoring six times in 10 games up front.
But his role as a forward is unlikely to last past this season, as the club are targeting a new striker this summer and Arsenal may look at Ollie Watkins after his recent benching’s.
Arsenal will need more from travelling fans in Paris
Football Insider Verdict
Arsenal fans were accused of failing their players by Wayne Rooney after the match, with the ex-Man United forward saying on Amazon Prime Video (29 April, 10:01pm): “I think the fans against Real Madrid were excellent and really pushed the team.
“I thought tonight they were a bit subdued, it was almost like an anti-climax for Arsenal, beat Real Madrid, like they’re going to walk into the final and win the competition.”
| Match stats | Arsenal | PSG |
| Possession | 48% | 52% |
| Shots (on target) | 10 (5) | 11 (4) |
| Expected goals | 1.63 xG | 1.16 xG |
| Big chances (missed) | 3 (3) | 2 (2) |
| Corners | 3 | 1 |
This no doubt would have been a source of frustration for Arteta, who made clear in his comments pre-game how important the fans would be to the team’s success.
Heading into their match in Paris with their season on the line, the Gunners will be desperate for their travelling supporters to be as vocal as possible.
This will be especially important, given that PSG have slashed Arsenal’s ticket allocation for the return leg.