Getting a here game is á tall order

Giant Merino - I'm one of Arsenal's little men

- JOHN CROSS

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

Gunners midfielder Merino, 28, is 6ft 2in and he says he used to be one of the tallest at his old club Real Sociedad.

But Merino admits it feels like he has moved to the land of the giants since moving to Arsenal in the summer because Mikel Arteta has built a team of six footers.

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

Spain international Merino said: "Yeah, 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.