The Gunners surrendered a two-goal lead in the 2-2 draw at Molineux in February 2026, prompting another wave of criticism as their title challenge came under pressure. Merino has now described how the squad responded without manager Mikel Arteta present.
“One slip, and all we heard was ‘same old Arsenal’. To be honest, there were doubts inside the team too. Giving away a 2–0 lead should never happen. But the day after the game, the players had a meeting inside the dressing room, without the boss. Everyone spoke up,” the midfielder wrote in The Players’ Tribune.
Merino said the conversation was not about tactical adjustments. Instead, the players discussed how they could take responsibility for the team’s response to adversity rather than expecting Arteta to solve every problem.
“Nobody talked about tactics. This was about how a group of human beings handle adversity together. I spoke about how I saw the team from the outside, and I said that this was something we as players had to handle, because the boss couldn’t do everything for us.
“When one person has so many tasks at one club, you need leaders who can figure things out on their own. Well, at this club, we do.”
The Spaniard believes that meeting helped Arsenal remain united even when further setbacks arrived. They lost consecutive league matches against Bournemouth and Manchester City in April, but the players continued to draw on their shared resolve.
“In my view, that was the day we won the title. Even when we lost to Bournemouth and City, that meeting kept us together. We decided to use all the criticism as fuel, and thanks to social media we saw everything.”
Arsenal had spent three consecutive seasons finishing second before finally winning the 2025-26 Premier League title. Merino recalled how criticism of the club’s mentality had become a recurring theme.
“We were bottlers. Runners-up. Second, second, second. Boring. Set-piece team. Couldn’t score from open play. Couldn’t handle the pressure. When they questioned our professionalism, we grew even closer.”
He also remembered the squad’s reaction to public mockery, including the television image of a supporter holding a bottle.
“The guy with the bottle on TV? We just laughed. ‘Bantah,’ like the English say.”
Merino reserved particular praise for Arteta’s influence on the squad’s culture and togetherness.
“The boss was on fire. Every team talk, he reached into our hearts. He spoke about looking out for one another, like a family. The culture we have is thanks to him. Even when the world expected us to collapse, I felt confident that the title would be ours.”
Arsenal eventually ended their 22-year wait for another Premier League crown, with Manchester City’s draw against Bournemouth confirming the Gunners as champions before the final round of fixtures.