The Gunners saw William Saliba sent off and then the defeat compounded a miserable day at the office for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Fortunately for Arsenal, Saliba will be available for midweek European action and his suspension won’t kick in until the end of the month.
However, with Martin Odegaard still out and Bukayo Saka also struggling, Arsenal need some more key players to step up and perform.
And according to Petit, one man who isn’t doing enough right now is new signing, Mikel Merino.
Emmanuel Petit says Mikel Merino hasn’t adapted to English football
Speaking on Premier League Productions about Merino’s impact since signing for Arsenal, Petit admitted that he doesn’t feel the Spaniard has fully adapted to playing in England.
“For me, at the moment, he hasn’t totally adapted to English football. The pace and the intensity,” Petit said.
“When you play for Spain or when you play in Spain, you have some time when you receive the ball and you have a few seconds to think about it, and what you are going to do with the ball.
“In the Premier League, you have no time to think about that – I am totally confident he can adapt himself to the Premier League.”
Merino needs to settle quickly
Mikel Merino was unfortunate in that he got injured when he first arrived at the club but in a team going for the title, you simply have to adapt quickly.
We are talking about an experienced international player here and at the end of the day, Arsenal need him to perform and quickly.
This weekend’s defeat already feels massive in terms of the title race and with Liverpool and City both winning on Sunday, it’s a big weekend of results.
Merino, then, will need to find his feet fast and ensure he is contributing to the Gunners’ cause.
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