Category Sports News

Over the past nine months, Arsenal fans have grown used to seeing Mikel Merino celebrate after scoring while playing as a striker.

And the frontman-turned-midfielder scored twice in their 3-0 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

As the Swede prepares for further tests, the 29-year-old was putting in place of Viktor Gyokeres, whose muscle injury is “concerning” manager Mikel Arteta.

Merino’s ability to step up and deliver for the Gunners, who have now extended their winning streak to 10 in all competitions, is thankfully unafraid.

“It’s wonderful to have him,” Arteta remarked. He asserts that this is his leadership, mindset, and personality.

We need to find new ways to replace the attacking players because we are lacking. He scores two goals in the Champions League.

After suffering a hamstring injury to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus’ cruciate ligament injury (ACL) a month prior, Merino made his first appearance for the Gunners as a substitute frontman in the Premier League victory over Leicester.

Merino had never assumed that position before when he was a child.

He then won the previous campaign with nine goals in all competitions, winning at Chelsea, Fulham, and Real Madrid.

In order to bring in a natural number nine and win their first trophy since 2020, Arsenal signed Gyokeres in a deal worth £64 million in the summer.

With Havertz sidelined with a knee injury since the start of the season, the Swede has scored six goals in his 14 appearances.

Merino will need to play front and center to help Arsenal because of concerns Gyokeres might not be able to play for another while with a hamstring issue.

The Spaniard met a Leandro Trossard cross with a neat finish just after the break, before heading home Declan Rice’s delivery to seal the impressive success.

He has established himself as a member of the leadership group, making him one of Arteta’s favorites in the squad and well-liked in the dressing room.

The Gunners boss continued, “My opinion was always that he had really good timing and the ability to finish in the box, especially one touch.”

“And then talking to him about how to attack the spaces in relation to how they defend the box, which was a little different today, as well as the way they set up, and making sure that he plays closer to the box.”

In order to improve their squad depth and quality, the Gunners spent more than £250 million on eight new players over the summer.

That is already being challenged, particularly in attacks.

Havertz, Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and Martin Odegaard are all currently out injured, with Arteta admitting that he needed to find a solution for the Premier League side’s problems while they are also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

He said, “You have to invent options,” “yes.” If you invent them, you always have options.

Mikel hasn’t played there before in his career, but we had a good experience last year and how he handled it.

We firmly believe that today, given how they were set up, provided him with a good chance to perform.

Merino, who was a member of the Spain squad that won Euro 2024 and scored a late winner in extra-time against Germany in the quarter-final, continued, “This team doesn’t care who is injured or not. The internal combustion engine has the same mentality.

Novak Djokovic advanced in Athens while Cameron Norrie defeated Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in three sets to advance to the Moselle Open quarter-finals.

In Metz, France, British No. 3 Norrie won a close match 7-6 (7-6), 6-2, to advance to his fifth tour-level quarter-final since Wimbledon in July.

The 30-year-old will next face French victors Kyrian Jacquet and Dan Added, who were both defeated on Wednesday.

In the opening match, world number 27 Norrie broke the 69th-ranked Cazaux’s serve, which came in second place last year.

However, Norrie had to survive a break point to end the first set, which the home favorite dominated, after Cazaux levelled the set.

The second set also headed toward a tie-break, but Norrie held on for the lead once more and eventually seized his fourth set point with a stunning forehand winner.

After a struggling Cazaux’s fading energy with an immediate break, Norrie raced to the finish line at midnight local time, capitalising on that momentum into the decider.

He is a very talented player, and it’s always a battle. I had to work hard to enter the match, and I had to choose some self-defense maneuvers,” Norrie said.

“I just told myself I wanted to be here and play.”

Alejandro Tabilo defeated Djokovic for the first time at the Athens Open, making it to his 225th tour-level quarter-final.

Tabilo, a Chilean, and Djokovic had previously won both of their previous meetings, but Roger Federer is the only player to have gone 3-0 head-to-head against the record-holder 24-time men’s Grand Slam champion.

The 38-year-old Serb increased his record of winning every match that he has won the first set this season to 28 with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 victory after prevailing in a first-set tie-break.

In a dominant finish to the match, Djokovic won 20 of the final 23 points.

Handball or handball not? On Tuesday night, VAR penalties were decided between Arsenal and Liverpool.

When a free-kick went down as a dropped ball just as they thought they had a penalty against Real Madrid, Liverpool fans were left completely perplexed.

Despite a Slavia Prague handball coming from the defender’s head, Arsenal were the ones who were saved.

Was Brennan Johnson’s dismissal against FC Copenhagen unfortunate for Tottenham Hotspur?

In the 30th minute, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni blocked a shot that Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai made on goal.

The Real Madrid player was shown a free kick for handball by the referee, which appeared to be very close to being inside the area.

When the referee jogged over to the pitchside monitor, where the VAR was located, Liverpool fans inside Anfield erupted, anticipating a penalty would be given.

Except that’s not what was going on.

The VAR, not the referee, would make a factual decision about the location of the handball, not the referee.

A referee serves as the judge for a subjective decision, such as handball, to the monitor. The referee was therefore overturning his decision to handball by going to the screen.

But how did we start off with a dropped ball for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after receiving a free kick from Liverpool?

It’s a penalty because the handball actually occurred inside the box. Additionally, the VAR has the authority to review a penalty.

The free kick would have remained in place regardless of whether it had been proven to be correct or incorrect if the handball had been determined to be outside the area.

Although it was overturned in a Uefa competition, the outcome was acceptable. Kovacs likely noticed that Tchouameni’s arm was farther out, but when the Real Madrid player hit him, he had the ball very close to his body, without creating a horizontal barrier.

Play restarts with the goalkeeper, which effectively leaves Liverpool with their attacking possession because it was an overturned penalty.

Why did the VAR get involved when the ball landed on Provod’s head and was later transferred to the ball?

There is a distinction to be made between deliberately heading the ball and deflection in the Premier League, which is highly unlikely to have been a VAR penalty.

A defender shouldn’t receive a penalty if they nod their own raised arm when they receive a firm contact on a header.

He pressed in unaided to get the ball away from Marcos Lopez, and after his boot came up off the ground, the ball landed on Lopez’s leg.

Was the yellow card that the referee showed really a clear and obvious error, according to Erik Lambrechts?

Watch highlights of every Champions League game on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport, and the BBC Sport website and app from 12:00 to eve of the match.

Next summer, Vinicius Jr. will be sold to Real Madrid, Rodrigo is wanted by Tottenham, and Manchester United is willing to let Jadon Sancho leave for free.

Vinicius Jr, 25, who was substituted against Barcelona, has been given a two-year deal by Real Madrid. (German) (Bild)

Real Madrid and Tottenham are interested in signing Brazilian forward Rodrigo, who wants to leave in January. (Fichajes – Spanish)

England winger Jadon Sancho, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa, will leave Manchester United for free the following summer. (Talksport)

In January, Roma are considering acquiring Netherlands international Joshua Zirkzee, 24, for a fee. (Calcio Mercato, Italian)

Germany defender Yann Bisseck, 24, is interested in moving to England, with West Ham and Tottenham potential matches. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian)

In January, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Juventus will compete for Nathan Ake, a 30-year-old Netherlands defender, to join Manchester City. (Caught Offside)

England midfielder Elliot Anderson is “very interested” in moving to Old Trafford, according to Manchester United, who will increase their pursuit in January. (Teamtalk)

Due to interest from Barcelona, Arsenal are unable to let Norway’s 26-year-old midfielder Martin Odegaard leave the team. (Fichajes – Spanish)

Before the 34-year-old signed a new contract with Liverpool (AS-in Spanish), Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk discussed moving to Real Madrid.

Despite Manchester United interested in the 23-year-old, Everton won’t sell England defender Jarrad Branthwaite in January despite the club’s $70 million bid. (Teamtalk)