Merino praises trophy ‘obsessed’ Arsenal after Champions League debut | OneFootball

Mikel Merino said that Arsenal players and staff are “obsessed” with winning trophies after the Gunners’ secured a first Champions League win of the season last night.

Merino moved to North London in August to great fanfare but was made to wait for his debut after being sidelined by a shoulder injury in his first training session, which he called an “unlucky moment.”

That debut finally came last night, though, as he replaced Thomas Partey to help Arsenal see a 2-0 home win against PSG over the line.

It was the Gunners’ first win of the Champions League campaign, and Merino is not alone in hoping it will be the first of many.

Speaking at full time, he said: “Winning trophies is the main thing here for everybody. They are obsessed with that.

That mentality is what drew him to Arsenal in the first place.

He said: “When I spoke to Mikel and I saw what was the plan, not only with me but the whole team, what was the culture, I felt this was the right place to be to take the next step in my career.

“I want to grow up, I want to learn even more, and I think this is the right place to keep improving and keep winning.”

He adds that his injury may have been a blessing in disguise, allowing him more time to adjust to his new surroundings and teammates.

He continued: “Obviously it was not the best timing, but at the same time I like to look at the bright side of it.

“This gave me a lot of time to think, to get to know my team-mates, to get to know the staff, to work on myself, the things that I need to do in terms of tactics, in terms of physicality and I think I am a much better player now than I was four weeks ago.”

The recovery time has also allowed Merino a better understanding of Arteta’s training methods, which he said are “completely new” to him.

He said: “The methods they use are completely new to me, so obviously it takes some time to adapt.

While the methods may be unfamiliar to Merino, he believes their effect is undeniable, saying they have helped him and the squad to reach a new level both physically and mentally.

“At the same time, I think that when you get it, you are in a different level because they challenge you every single day – not only physically, but mentally.

“That makes you be sharp mentally and that’s what you are going to find out in the game.”

Merino will have the chance to make his full debut this weekend as the Gunners host Southampton in the Premier League.

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