WINNING THE TITLE IS A TALL ORDER...BUT WE HAVE THE GIANTS TO DO IT!

Merino says he felt it was like joining a basketball team when he signed for Gunners back in the summer

- JOHN CROSS

MIKEL MERINO says Arsenal's giants are more like a basketball team.

The Gunners midfielder is 6ft 2in and he says he used to be one of the tallest players at his old club Real Sociedad.

But he admits it feels like he has moved to the land of the giants since joining Arsenal in the summer because Mikel Arteta (lower inset) has assembled a team of six-footers.

Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard the are only guaranteed starters in Arsenal's first choice XI who are under 6ft as Arteta wants his players to be strong in the air and have a physical presence.

Spain international Merino said: "Sometimes it is crazy. I am in the corridors of the training ground just walking, and back at my old club I used to be one of the tallest so everyone was smaller than me and now I look around and everyone is taller than me.

"We look like a basketball team. Football has changed and you need a strong team.

"Physicality is key - we need to be the most complete team possible.

"You need the physical aspect, technical aspect, the tactical one, you need to be a total team to achieve big things as we do.