Brentford manager Thomas Frank expresses his true opinion on Mikel Merino being used as Arsenal’s forward.

Arsenal will face Brentford in the Premier League, and Thomas Frank has been closely analyzing Mikel Arteta’s squad.

 

Arsenal are on a high after their dominant 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League, with their performance at the Emirates on Tuesday night drawing widespread praise.

 

While Declan Rice’s two brilliant free-kicks have garnered most of the attention, Mikel Merino has also earned recognition for his contributions.

 

The Spanish midfielder, who has been playing as a forward due to Arsenal’s injury crisis, scored once again, potentially sealing the victory against Real Madrid.

 

Here’s what Frank has noticed about Merino.

 

Thomas Frank’s assessment of Merino as a striker: Arsenal have faced significant injury setbacks this season, losing Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz for the rest of the campaign. This left them without a natural striker, and many fans believe that the club’s failure to sign a new number nine in January could cost them the Premier League title.

 

To cope, Arteta has deployed Merino as a forward, and the Spanish midfielder has surprised many with his performances.

 

Frank has been impressed by Merino but has also cautioned his Brentford players to be aware of the midfielder’s movement during their upcoming match at the Emirates.

 

Frank shared his thoughts during a press conference, as reported by HaytersTV: “Merino has done very well. He’s effective in the box, finds good positions, and has strong heading abilities. While he’s not a classic false nine, he’s a midfielder who moves into attack, and we need to be alert to that if he starts.”

 

Mikel Merino’s impressive stats as a striker: Merino’s transition to a forward role has been remarkable. While he may not have the finesse of top strikers like Alexander Isak, he’s been incredibly effective for Arsenal, outperforming some of the world’s best attackers.

 

In their last 10 games (as of April 11, 2025), Merino has scored 6 goals, surpassing Isak, Mohamed Salah, and Harry Kane, who each have 5 goals in the same span.

 

Merino’s goal-scoring feats as a makeshift striker are extraordinary, especially considering he’s outshining some of the most renowned names in the sport.

 

While Arsenal certainly still need to sign a new striker, Merino deserves tremendous praise for his unexpected success up front.