Overview
- Ian Wright told Merino on The Overlap on Wednesday that he can 'feel' the midfielder will score the winning goal in the Champions League final, a prediction widely reported by Arsenal-focused outlets.
- Arsenal will meet reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Budapest on Saturday, with PSG viewed as favourites for back-to-back European titles.
- Merino returned from a roughly four-month absence caused by a rare stress fracture to his foot and made his comeback as a substitute on the final day of the Premier League season.
- The 29-year-old has a history of late and decisive goals, including a headed equaliser at Newcastle and a 119th-minute winner for Spain, and has been used by Arsenal as a makeshift striker during injury spells.
- With Arsenal's primary forwards fit for the final, Merino is unlikely to start but Wright's public backing adds a media narrative that could influence selection talk and expectations about late-game substitutions.