Forget Saka: Underrated Arsenal Man Called ‘One of World’s Best’ After ‘Genius’ Display

One Arsenal star has been labelled as ‘one of the world’s best’ following a scintillating display for his country during the international break. The pause in domestic action could not have come at a worse time for the title-chasing Gunners, who did not have a chance to recover from the devastating 1-0 defeat to Liverpool before players broke off to their respective national teams.

While some of Mikel Arteta’s squad may still have been licking their wounds following the loss which, despite being early in the season, could impact their title race, one player was able to find his best form ahead of a return to Premier League action.

Arsenal Star Shines on International Duty

Among the games on Sunday night was European champions Spain taking on Turkey in a World Cup qualifier. While it ended up being a rather stressful evening for Lamine Yamal off the pitch, on it La Roja delivered business as usual with a 6-0 victory.

Barcelona’s Pedri and Ferran Torres shared half of the goals, but the other 50% came from a single source: Mikel Merino. The former Sociedad midfielder, stunned fans by netting a hat-trick from midfield in what was a truly outstanding display.

The pick of the goals was undoubtedly his third. Given too much space 25 yards from goal, the 29-year-old shaped to curl the ball into the far corner on his left foot – doing exactly that, helped by a slight deflection.

While the goals were the highlight, the overall performance was just as impressive. Arsenal’s number 23 dominated in the middle of the park, and after the game, Luis de la Fuente waxed lyrical about Merino, describing him as a ‘genius’ after he extended his run as the top scoring international midfielder in Europe this calendar year.

“He’s one of the best in the world in his position. What we have are good people, who are humble and want to continue growing,” De La Fuente explained.

“We have fantastic players, and he [Merino] is another example of a footballer who does many things well. He’s a genius and a world-class player who sometimes doesn’t get the recognition in Spain.”

Despite lacking regular game time for the Gunners, Merino will be hoping his international performances earn him a chance in the coming run of club fixtures, with Arsenal hosting Nottingham Forest before returning to Champions League action against Athletic Club.