Deployed in an unorthodox centre-forward role for the first time in his senior career, the £31.6m summer signing remarkably bagged a quick-fire brace to seal the win in the closing stages.
Arsenal's Mikel Merino celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates
With the Gunners devoid of attacking options amid injuries to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, Arteta had successfully rolled the dice, producing a tactical tweak that potentially looked like being a defining one in the title race.
Unfortunately for those in north London, that Merino moment has not provided a springboard for success, with it looking as if the Premier League crown is on its way to Merseyside, barring a shock late collapse in Liverpool.
That said, the continued centre-forward experiment has yielded results of late for the Gunners, with it potentially time to consider replicating that whacky decision with another change of position.
Mikel Merino's record at centre-forward
With Arteta having been without Havertz and Jesus against the Foxes, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka also out of action at the time, Merino was viewed as a worthy trial through the middle, after replacing Leandro Trossard late on.
Mikel Merino as a striker at Arsenal
To his credit, the Spaniard delivered, showcasing shades of Olivier Giroud to clinch three points for his side, having since added a further goal and assist against PSV Eindhoven, as well as the winner in the triumph over Chelsea last time out.
That latest effort in the cagey affair with the Blues came courtesy of a delightful, flicked header at the near post, with Arteta praising the way his compatriot is "winning matches" for his side, amid his "incredible" attitude.
As per Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old now boats four goals and an assist in just seven outings in that central role, a record that any natural striker would likely be more than happy with.
Indeed, any centre-forward would be delighted to have finished in the manner that Merino did against the west Londoners on Sunday, with the strikerless visitors potentially ruing their own lack of options through the middle, amid the loss of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu to injury.
Arsenal vs Chelsea - striker comparison
Stat
Merino
Pedro Neto
Minutes played
90
90
Touches
22
35
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
0
Key passes
0
0
Pass accuracy
91%
83%
Successful dribbles
0/0
0/2
Total duels won
5/15
1/7
Possession lost
5x
11x
Stats via Sofascore
As Arteta indicated, the one-time Newcastle United man showed his "value" in that tense tussle, leading the line effectively after winning five duels and recording a solid 91% pass accuracy, while getting on the scoresheet despite registering just 22 touches.
The elegant left-footer may not prove the man to take Arsenal to the title, but he has been a more than adequate stopgap. Perhaps, Arteta should consider repeating the experiment with Riccardo Calafiori.
Mikel-Merino-Arsenal-1
Arteta could now repeat Arsenal's Merino experiment
What has been so impressive regarding Merino's impact is that he hasn't exactly been aided by those around him, excluding the tie with PSV, with Leandro Trossard looking particularly off the boil against Enzo Maresca's side.
The Belgian winger failed to register a single key pass nor successfully complete a single dribble during his 90-minute outing, having simply offered little in the way of a threat down the left flank.
Trossard-Reece-James-Arsenal-Chelsea
With just four goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, Trossard has hardly ripped it up, in truth, and with the aforementioned Martinelli only just making his return from injury, an alternative solution could be considered in that left-wing berth.
It could be argued that having already thrust Kieran Tierney into that attacking role of late, Arteta could repeat the trick with Calafiori, with teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly having seemingly locked down the left-back berth.
Calafiori has largely operated as a centre-back or a left-back to date, although he has previously lined up as a left winger, a point outlined by Italian journalist Daniele Vierri upon the 22-year-old's arrival last summer:
"He can play on the left wing or the left side of the defence. He can also play as centre-back, where he has improved a lot over the last season at Bologna.
"He is physically strong, but he is not a typical Italian defender like a [Giorgio] Chiellini, so a very man-marking defender. He is technically very gifted and is a player who can build up the play from the back."
Beautifully described as "like a wild horse on the loose" by the Telegraph's Sam Dean, the Italy international has already showcased the threat he can pose in the final third, having popped up in an advanced position to score away in the 7-1 rout of PSV.
The former Bologna man's potentially untapped attacking potential was also on show amid his pin-point strikes against both Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the campaign, illustrating what an outlet he could be as a more permanent part of the front line.
odegaard-arsenal-champions-league-calafiori
Much like in the case of Merino, this bold new role should certainly not be a long-term solution - not with Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams again a reported summer target - yet if Arteta is looking for a short-term fit, he could do worse than trial Calafiori further forward.
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