Mikel Merino shows just how underrated he is against Tottenham

Mikel Merino put in another top performance for Arsenal against Tottenham, playing a key part as his side defeated their arch-rivals 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

In the continued absence of Viktor Gyökeres, the Spaniard once again took up the position as the stand-in striker and while he didn't find the back of the net, his showing in the dominant win did not go unnoticed.

He impressed throughout the north London derby and once again showed football fans just how underrated he is.

Mikel Merino shows just how underrated he is against Tottenham

Go back nine months, the majority of Arsenal fans were laughing at the suggestion of midfielder Merino playing at striker. Now in the present day, he has become a crucial part of Mikel Arteta's squad, both in his natural position in the middle of the park and up front.

When the full squad is fit, he finds starts hard to come by, but whenever he is needed, he steps in and performs to the best of his ability. With some still doubting his presence as a makeshift centre forward, he is one of the most underrated players in Arteta's side and he showed that against Spurs.

Starting up front, Merino operated in a false nine role often dropping back to allow Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka the freedom to run at the visitors' defence. His all-round performance was simply brilliant, but some of his brightest moments came as part of the Gunners' goals.

Contributing to his side's opener, he picked up the ball from Jurrien Timber in a midfield position and turned before finding the run of Trossard with a superb pass that Mesut Özil would be proud of. The Belgian brought Merino's setup down and beat Guglielmo Vicario with a deflected strike.

He then helped Eze seal his hat-trick when he received a pass from Declan Rice and sent Trossard through to set the number 10 up for his third goal of the afternoon. He was almost involved once again, helping win back possession for Saka to set Eze up once again, but the midfielder couldn't grab his fourth.

Mikel Arteta was full of praise for his namesake, labelling him "an intelligent player" and "defensive nine", a testament to his constant efforts leading the press and his physicality when battling for possession.

Merino worked tirelessly before being replaced by Ethan Nwaneri in the 88th minute, bringing an end to a top performance at the Emirates. The win saw him take his tally for the season to three goals and two assists in 17 appearances.

The Spain international may not be a glamourous or world class player but there is no denying that he steps up whenever he is needed. His performance against Spurs showed just how good he can be and that he is one of the Premier League's most underrated players, even when he doesn't pop up with a goal.