Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Mikel Merino chasing 32-year Ian Wright goalscoring feat in EFL Cup semi-final

Arsenal utility man Mikel Merino could match an Ian Wright feat achieved 32 years ago in Wednesday's EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The former Real Sociedad man has proven to be an incredibly useful purchase since his arrival in 2024, coming up with 14 goals and eight assists in 73 appearances for the Gunners in total.

Merino has struck five goals of his own and set up three more in 29 matches this season, and he donned the captain's armband for Sunday's 4-1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth in the third round.

The 29-year-old started in the deepest midfield position with Eberechi Eze and Ethan Nwaneri alongside him at Fratton Park, but he is likely to lose his place in the XI for the clash with Liam Rosenior's side as Mikel Arteta reverts to full strength.

Nevertheless, Merino's eye-catching recent record against Chelsea could stand him in good stead this week, as the midfielder could become the first Arsenal player since Wright over three decades ago to score in three straight games vs. the Blues.

Mikel Merino chasing Ian Wright scoring feat in Chelsea vs. Arsenal

Merino netted the only goal in Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League home win over Chelsea in March, meeting a Martin Odegaard corner at the near post and flicking a header into the far side of the net.

The Euro 2024 winner then equalised for Arteta's side at Stamford Bridge earlier this season with another header, cancelling out Trevoh Chalobah's opening goal after also being the victim of Moises Caicedo's red card-worthy tackle.

The last Arsenal player to score in three consecutive matches against Chelsea in all tournaments was the legendary Wright, who did so in four matches on the spin from 1992 to 1994.

The Englishman netted in each of Arsenal's first four Premier League battles with their London rivals - scoring five in total - and the Gunners won all of those games in which Wright found the back of the net.

However, a draw would not be the worst result for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge this week, as Arteta's men should be the heavy favourites to prevail in the second leg at home on February 3.

Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Who should start up front for Mikel Arteta's side?

While Merino is a midfielder by trade, he has proven his worth as a makeshift centre-forward for the Gunners over the past two years, although Arteta no longer has the need to deploy him up front.

For the first time this season, the Gunners boss has all three of his chief centre-forward options available, as Gabriel Jesus is fit and firing after an ACL injury and Kai Havertz has returned from a knee concern.

Jesus was given the nod against Portsmouth and produced a fine assist for Gabriel Martinelli's second goal, while Havertz came off the bench in the second half, and the out-of-sorts Viktor Gyokeres was restricted to a watching brief.

On form, Jesus is a sure-fire pick up front for the first leg of the semi-final, but do not be surprised to see Arteta side with a refreshed Gyokeres, even if the Swede appears to be going backwards rather than forwards.