Mikel Merino Assessment Made as Martin Odegaard Injury Update Emerges After Arsenal Beat PSG in the Champions League
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine matches across all competitions after securing a dominant victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Arsenal’s impressive form carried on Tuesday night as they comfortably defeated Paris Saint-Germain in a European clash.
Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka both found the back of the net before halftime at the Emirates Stadium, with PSG offering little resistance to Arteta’s squad.
Arsenal now boast four points from their first two European fixtures following a goalless draw against Atalanta, while also remaining undefeated in the Premier League and EFL Cup.
Tuesday’s game also marked the long-anticipated debut of Mikel Merino. The Spanish midfielder, who suffered an injury in his first training session after joining from Real Sociedad over the summer, came on as a second-half substitute for Thomas Partey.
With captain Martin Odegaard still sidelined, Merino may play a crucial role in the upcoming weeks. Both players are central as AFCN provides the latest updates from the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta Gives Mikel Merino Assessment
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was finally able to hand Mikel Merino a debut on Tuesday, and spoke about how impressed he has been with the Spaniard. “Really good, because he joined us and first session he got injured,” the manager began.
“He had only one session with us, he was ready, he was really willing to be part of this today and obviously with the injuries and changes we had to make, we believe that he was the player that could help us in that phase. I think he’s done really well.”
Reflecting on the win in a wider sense, he said: “I think it raises the confidence and belief that we can compete with any team at that level in European competitions, with the style of games that are very different to the Premier League. I think we showed a lot of maturity in the way we played.”
Martin Odegaard Injury Update
As the Gunners await updates on Martin Odegaard’s potential return, Norway has confirmed that he will miss the upcoming international break.
The Arsenal captain, who also leads his national team, sustained an injury during a UEFA Nations League match in September.
“He is far from being in the squad,” Norway manager Stale Solbakken said of Odegaard. “We will have to see how far he gets during this international break. It is possible that he will come, but it depends a little on his rehabilitation. I have not spoken to him in the past four or five days.”
Norway were already without Manchester City youngster Oscar Bobb, who suffered a broken leg in August. “That both Oscar and Martin are out at the same time – it would be naive to say that it doesn’t have a meaning,” Solbakken said,
Solbakken’s side have four points from their first two Nations League games at home to Austria and away to Kazakhstan. Their next two matches see them host Slovenia before travelling to Austria on October 13.
In other Arsenal news, Arteta Drops Huge Hint One Arsenal Star Will Be Dropped Soon
