Mikel Merino hails 'fresh blood' Arsenal teenagers

Mikel Merino has described teenage duo Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly as Arsenal's "fresh blood" capable of taking the team to the next level.

The duo, who both graduated from the Gunners' Hale End academy, combined for Arsenal's second goal as they thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 on Tuesday -- the biggest Champions League knockout stage away win in history.

Mikel Arteta's side are now overwhelming favourites to setup a quarterfinal clash with either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid with each round-of-16 tie to be concluded next week.

It marks another step in the remarkable breakthrough campaigns for Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, although the latter was substituted before half-time against PSV after being fortunate to escape a second yellow card for a late challenge on Richard Ledezma.

Merino said: "It's great, it's fresh blood. For us, it is unbelievable for us to have these young kids with this energy, with this fresh mentality. Obviously, for the fans, it is unbelievable to see players from the academy, born and raised here, to be making these amazing performances for the first team.

"It's reassuring that this team has a good team now, but will have an even better one, or the same quality, in the future."

Nwaneri, 17, is now one goal away from equalling the record for most goals scored in a Premier League side by a player aged under 18 -- held by Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen -- and Merino continued: "He is an unbelievable player. I have been saying it for a long time. Every time I come here, you guys ask me about him but I won't get tired talking about him, because he deserves it.

"It is not only about his age and about how good he is on the pitch, but it's also about his will, the intensity he puts in every single training day, the way he faces every game with the maturity that he has.

"Also, he has the will to learn. He is not 17 years old, playing in the Premier League and Champions League, thinking he has already learnt everything. He is always willing to listen to the other guys, listen to the boss, and that's credit to him."

Merino has emerged as Arteta's preferred makeshift centre-forward with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka all sidelined by injury.

The midfielder scored twice as a substitute at Leicester City before struggling against both West Ham and Nottingham Forest but found the net in Eindhoven with Arsenal's third goal.

"I have been talking with the analysts, the boss as well," he said. "I pride myself in trying to understand what happens on the pitch, not only in my position as a No. 8, but also other positions of other teammates.

"I think understanding what happens on the pitch in other situations also helps you in your role. So, I can understand what a striker has to do in this team. At the same time, I think the other teammates understand what the No. 8 has to do. It's a group thing. Everybody knows what everybody has to do, and that's the way we work and it's really helpful for me now."

Explaining when he last played as a striker, Merino, 28, said: "It was a long time ago, I was seven years old. I was in my school team, with the kids there. I mean, I was playing everywhere, not only as a striker. It was five kids running around on the pitch! But now is the time I am playing as a striker and it is something new for me.

"It is kind of crazy, to be honest [to play as a striker in a Champions League game], but at the same time, it is about having the right mentality, the right approach to the game. If the coach tells you to play one position, alright you have to take all your characteristics and put it on the table for the team.

"I am trying to adapt. I am trying to do things the best way possible and, obviously, some days will be better, some days will be worse - but the work is there every day, the grind. I am trying to improve every single day in my new position, trying to help the team. So, when good things happen, I am really proud of that."