Arsenal ratings: Super-sub Merino grabs win as Ødegaard, Nwaneri shine

Arsenal produced a strong second-half performance to secure a 2-0 victory over Leicester City in the Premier League at the King Power Stadium.

A quiet first half saw limited chances created for the Gunners, though they looked brightest when attacking through Martin Ødegaard and Ethan Nwaneri who both asked questions of the defence with some dangerous balls into the box. That pair shone again after the break as Nwaneri continued to look dangerous on the right wing, but Raheem Sterling struggled to make a similar impact on the opposite flank.

The Foxes could have broken the deadlock in the 73rd minute, only for Myles Lewis-Skelly to divert a dangerous cross at the back post. And it was another Arsenal academy graduate involved less than 10 minutes later, when Nwaneri’s accurate cross found substitute Mikel Merino to head in the opener.

A counterattack in the 87th minute saw Merino register his brace with an accurate finish from Leandro Trossard’s cross, securing an important victory in the title race. The Gunners are now four points behind Liverpool, who host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

Positives

Ødegaard and Nwaneri were in impressive form for Arsenal on the day. With several key players missing through injury — including forward Kai Havertz, who was ruled out for the rest of the season this week — the duo will be key for the Gunners as they head into the business end of the season.

Negatives

While Trossard got an assist late on from a counterattack, the performances of both the Belgium international and Raheem Sterling could concern Arsenal fans, with both attackers struggling to make an impact when the game was at 0-0.

Manager rating (1-10; 10 = best)

Mikel Arteta, 8 — Set his team up well to maintain control of the match and made the decisive substitution that won the game when introducing midfielder Merino as a makeshift forward.

Player ratings

GK David Raya, 6 — A straightforward save saw the 29-year-old save the Foxes’ only effort on target in the opening 45 minutes from Wilfred Ndidi’s volley. Anticipated crosses well and began attacks quickly with his distribution.

DF Myles Lewis-Skelly, 7 — The 18-year-old took up some promising positions when helping his side in advanced areas and moved the ball quickly to create space, but his moment of the match came in the 73rd minute when getting a crucial touch to a cross that was about to be tapped in by Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

DF Gabriel Magalhães, 6 — Gabriel didn’t find himself under much pressure defensively as he kept in position and cleared the danger when called upon, while he also remained a dominant threat on set pieces.

DF William Saliba, 6 — Consistently won aerial duels to regain possession for the Gunners when Leicester played long, but gave away a couple of careless fouls when challenging Jamie Vardy.

DF Jurriën Timber 6 — The Netherlands international kept things simple and was more involved in the second half, with advanced runs that helped create space for Arsenal’s attacking players.

MF Thomas Partey, 6 — Battled well in midfield to win some crucial duels that led to promising Arsenal attacks. Consistently in the right area, and linked well with Ødegaard. Gave the ball away for a Leicester counter-attack before being replaced, though that was a rare mistake across the 76 minutes he played.

MF Declan Rice 6 — Positioned astutely in defensive phases to narrow angles, while also trying to create space with direct runs into Leicester’s penalty area when anticipating crosses.

MF Martin Ødegaard 8 — The Norway international was a standout for Arsenal on the day as he made play tick in midfield, while producing some inventive passes to find forward inside the box. Consistently transitioned the ball through Leicester City’s press and was at the heart of all of the Gunners best pieces of play.

FW Raheem Sterling, 3 — Isolated his marker on several occasions but couldn’t produce across a quiet first half. It was a similar story after the break, with Sterling unable to make an impact, losing his individual battles against both Leicester City right-backs in James Justin and Woyo Coulibaly.

FW Leandro Trossard, 5 — Tried to make runs in behind but could have timed them better in the first half. Connected with a pass from Ødegaard but made a mess of the finish. Finally made an impact in the 87th minute on the counterattack when picking out Merino to seal the win.

FW Ethan Nwaneri, 8 — Positive in possession when looking to beat his marker down the line or cut in on his left foot before delivering crosses into the box. Arsenal’s brightest performer in attack set up the opening goal with a precise ball to Merino after being unlucky with a strike that hit the post.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

Mikel Merino (Sterling, 69′) 8 — It didn’t take long for the Spain international to make his mark with an impressive header from Nwaneri’s inviting cross to put Arsenal ahead in the 81st minute, and he then finished the game off after connecting with a cross from Trossard. Subs don’t come much more super than that.

Jorginho (Partey, 76′) N/R — Helped Arsenal control the game after they took the lead, but was never threatened defensively.

Riccardo Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly, 76′) N/R — Impressive on transitions when driving through the middle of the pitch, playing a part in Arsenal’s second goal with his positioning.

Kieran Tierney (Trossard, 89′) N/R — Brought on to see out the remaining minutes after Merino’s second goal put the match out of sight for Arteta’s side.