Although Liverpool are the runaway leaders in the Premier League, the Gunners do still have something to play for.
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Lose on Sunday, and the Reds would have wrapped up the title. Lose on Sunday, and the chasing pack in the race for the Champions League would have caught up.
Well, they did not suffer defeat. Instead, Arsenal were in a rampant mood, seeing off Ipswich 4-0 to cement their place as the division’s second-best team.
Arsenal's biggest statement makers on Sunday
Arteta’s men may well be in the semi-finals of the Champions League and second in the league but it’s safe to say this hasn’t been the rosiest of seasons for those at the Emirates Stadium.
Ever since Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury in December, their league form has deteriorated and hasn’t been consistent whatsoever.
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Well, Saka is back and he’s already making inroads into the most difficult campaign of his senior career.
A goal in Madrid on Wednesday was followed up by another dazzling display in Suffolk this weekend, registering the pre-assist for the opening two goals, scored by Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
Saka was also on the end of a horrible tackle from Ipswich left-back Leif Davis, one that saw him receive a red card.
While Arsenal’s no.7 was able to carry on, he was substituted in the second half and was seen on the bench with strapping and ice wrapped around his ankle. Let’s hope that’s not a nasty injury.
Saka was certainly at his best, as too were the aforementioned Trossard and Martinelli.
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The former was the scorer of two well-taken goals while the latter made it two in two, darting onto the end of Mikel Merino’s clever flick to find the net.
There was even time for a late Ethan Nwaneri deflected goal, putting the icing on top of the cake.
In truth, it was a perfect all-round display from the team but one key performer in red and white rather went under the radar.
Arsenal may have finally replaced Granit Xhaka
Back in 2023, Arsenal decided to cash in on their enigmatic midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss came off the back of a career-best haul of nine goals and seven assists in all competitions so losing him was a bitter blow.
Xhaka's Premier League career at Arsenal
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
Yellow cards
2016/17
32
2
2
5
2017/18
38
1
7
10
2018/19
29
4
2
10
2019/20
31
1
2
10
2020/21
31
1
2
7
2021/22
27
1
2
10
2022/23
37
7
7
5
Figures via WhoScored
Unsurprisingly, his departure turned out to be key, even if Edu and Co did decide to sign Declan Rice that summer.
Xhaka was a vital component of the team that came so close to winning the league and his departure harmed the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack.
No longer was Martinelli - a man who registered his own career best figures of 15 goals - being fed by his partner in crime. It left him to look rather average out on that left wing.
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Well, in 2025, it looks as though Arteta has finally found the club’s new Xhaka in Merino.
The Spaniard had a pretty mediocre and troubled start to his career in the capital. Within days of his arrival, he sustained a shoulder injury, ruining his integration period at Colney.
While he did find the net in games against Liverpool and Brentford, we were not seeing the best of the former Real Sociedad man.
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It’s remarkable, therefore, that it took a change in position for Merino to be unlocked fully. The game was that one against Leicester. Kai Havertz was out for the season and Arsenal needed a hero. On came Arsenal’s summer signing, having never played as a centre forward, to score twice.
Since then, he’s been exceptional in that striker berth, notably scoring against Chelsea and finding the net in that incredible 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Emirates a few weeks ago.
Not just content with scoring goals, Merino has been a creative force too, demonstrating the type of traits Arteta has been crying out for since Xhaka left London behind.
While much of the Spain international’s good work has come as a striker, he’s also making an impact in midfield now, registering a cracking assist for Martinelli’s goal at Portman Road and supplying both of Arsenal's goals in Spain a few days ago.
It’s that ability to ghost into the box that made Xhaka such a hit in his final campaign at Arsenal and is consequently the same attribute now making Merino a firm fan favourite.
In the words of Arsenal writer Charles Watts, the first half was a "45 minute clinic from Merino" who was "outstanding".
Well, over the course of his 57 minutes on the field, he had 33 touches, won a whopping ten duels and completed six tackles, more than living up to a rather specific tag he was given upon arriving last summer.
Indeed, he was hailed as a "duel monster" by Gunners content creator Adam Keys, having been the only player in Europe’s top seven leagues to win over 300 duels last season.
So, it may have taken Merino several months to get up to speed after his £31.6m move but he’s now showing exactly why Arteta was so keen to sign him. At long, long last, it would appear Arsenal have someone capable of filling the Xhaka-shaped hole in the team.
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