'Header King' in the Premier League

Not a natural striker, but Arsenal's Mikel Merino shows impressive aerial ability.

Merino plays an important role at Arsenal. Photo: Reuters .

In the early morning of December 4, Merino made his mark with a header in the 11th minute, setting the stage for Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Brentford.

According to Opta , no Premier League player has scored more headed goals in all competitions than Merino since the start of last season. He has scored eight of his 14 goals with his headers in that time, a figure that shows his efficiency and accuracy.

2025 has seen the 28-year-old midfielder explode in form. Including both club and national team levels, Merino has contributed 29 goals and assists this year, surpassing many top midfielders who are valued many times higher than him in the Premier League.

In the last 6 matches, Merino scored 4 goals and had 2 more assists, becoming a great source of inspiration to help Arsenal maintain the race in the leading group.

It is worth mentioning that Merino had never played as a striker in his career before working with coach Mikel Arteta. The Spanish coach's tactical flexibility, from pushing Merino up high, taking advantage of his ability to choose the landing point and his ideal physical foundation, has turned him into a surprising "false 9".

In the context of many injured strikers, and Arsenal needing more goals to compete for the championship, Merino's rise is considered one of the important factors.

Two goals in the Chelsea - Arsenal match. Early morning of December 1, Chelsea and Arsenal drew 1-1 in a dramatic match in round 13 of the Premier League 2025/26.

Source: https://znews.vn/vua-danh-dau-o-premier-league-post1608312.html