Mikel Arteta cast doubt over Mikel Merino’s availability for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final after their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace which puts Liverpool on the brink of the title.
Liverpool need to secure only a draw against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday to be crowned Premier League champions after Palace substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta scored with seven minutes remaining at the Emirates.
Merino has played as a makeshift forward in the past months following injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, but he had been expected to revert to midfield for the visit of Paris St Germain with Thomas Partey suspended.
However, when asked if Merino and Ben White, also absent from Arsenal’s squad, would be fit to face PSG on Tuesday, Arteta said: “We will have to wait and see as they were not able to be in the squad here.”
Arteta did not elaborate on why both players were absent, but the Spaniard will be hopeful that Merino in particular will be able to return with fellow midfielder Jorginho a doubt for the remainder of the season with a rib problem.
Arsenal’s campaign has been derailed by a series of injuries, and their championship challenge has long since faded. But they will have been desperate to avoid a defeat that would have allowed Liverpool to take the title without kicking a ball, and they were ahead inside three minutes through Jakub Kiwior.
Eberechie Eze’s superb volley from a corner hauled Palace level before Leandro Trossard restored Arsenal’s advantage. A sloppy pass by William Saliba allowed Palace substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta to strike with seven minutes left. It marked the 13th draw of Arsenal’s season and their ninth from a winning position.
And Arteta continued: “I am disappointed with the result and the performance. We did not have the consistency to dominate the game. Yes, we were ahead twice, but we didn’t grab the game and control it in the way we would normally do because we were below the standards.
“Hopefully the PSG match was not in their minds. We discussed that before (the 4-0 victory at) Ipswich, and it wasn’t there. We still have six days to prepare for that match.
“We missed some players, and a lot of players that have not trained, were not able to do so today so we were very short.
“We haven’t been able to see the games off for many reasons. It’s something that we have done much better in the past.
“You have to win a certain amount of games (to win the league). We have only lost three games – two of them with 10 men – but we have to win many more.”
Crystal Palace will now look ahead to their FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa on Saturday.
“It was an excellent performance,” said Palace manager Oliver Glasner. “When you have conceded 10 goals in the last two away games, and go one down very early on, it is a difficult situation.
“But we didn’t lose our heads, and we created so many chances. I am very proud of the players and how they performed.”
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