The Gunners fell 1-0 at Anfield in a closely fought contest decided by Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick, but the Spanish midfielder believes there are plenty of positives to take, particularly the display of his compatriot Cristian Mosquera.
He also highlighted Noni Madueke’s lively showing on the wing and Eberechi Eze’s debut, noting that both looked sharp as they continue settling into life in north London.
“I think there are lots of positives from today as well to look into the future. We know this league is a long one, so it's not going to be decided in the first five fixtures, so we’re looking forward,” Merino told club website.
“Today we saw some new guys coming on the pitch under difficult circumstances, for example, Mosquera after the injury. They managed to come in these circumstances and do it as well as they could have done.
“The whole team performed in a really good way, in a difficult stadium, with a lot of character. So disappointed for the loss, but lots of positives.”