3 articles
Twice in a week the Arsenal midfielder has come off the bench to settle a World Cup knockout tie for Spain. It is a pattern now, not a fluke, and it started by heading the hosts out of a home Euros.
Six outlets, six sets of marks, and on Pau Cubarsi they sat more than three points apart. Here is how the graders scored Spain's quarter-final win, from Mikel Merino at the top to Senne Lammens at the bottom.
A second knockout winner off the bench from Mikel Merino saw Spain past a stubborn Belgium at SoFi Stadium, ending Unai Simon's 650-minute shutout streak but sending the Spanish into a semi-final with France.
