Mikel Merino's substitute appearance against Leicester showcased his potential as a striker, scoring two decisive goals and altering the game's outcome. His impressive movement and finishing prompted discussions about his starting role in the upcoming match against West Ham. Coach Mikel Arteta faces a dilemma: whether to start Merino, limiting bench options, or revert to Raheem Sterling, whose recent performances have faltered. Sterling, despite his successful career, appears to be struggling, leading to speculation about Merino's sustainability in a starting position and the team's overall strategy.
Even though there was plenty of chat about Mikel Merino potentially having to operate as a makeshift striker ahead of the Leicester game at the weekend, I don't think anyone could have predicted quite how well the experiment would go.
Having Merino on the bench gives you a real chance to change the game if needed, as we saw at the King Power Stadium.
Personally, I think Merino will probably start because Raheem Sterling's performance at Leicester was so underwhelming.
Sterling has had an incredible career and has been a superb performer in the Premier League, but he looked like a player who just couldn't do it anymore on Saturday.
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