Speaking after the final whistle, the Arsenal boss singled out Merino for his exceptional footballing brain and selfless attitude. The 30-year-old has established himself as a vital squad member, even if his top-flight minutes have been heavily restricted this season.
“He’s unbelievable,” Arteta told reporters. “First of all, he’s one of the most intelligent players that I’ve seen and I’ve worked with. Then the personality is just full of… I don’t know, he just wants to give for everybody. He thinks about everything, he thinks about everybody.”
The manager also highlighted the Spaniard’s tactical versatility. Arteta added: “He has qualities that are unique in football and in our team, his capacity to arrive in the box, he’s capable of occupying different places, to play in different positions, to link play with people.
“And as a midfielder, the ability that he has to score goals like tonight is a different one that we’ve seen lately, but another incredible one.’