Merino relieves Arsenal's attacking woes and Marmoush scores hat trick for Man City

After all the hand-wringing about Arsenal’s lack of a striker, it turns out Mikel Merino may have been the unexpected solution.

Merino eased Arsenal’s attacking concerns with two late goals off the bench to secure a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Leicester on Saturday that kept the Gunners in the Premier League title race.

Manchester City has found a new scoring threat, too, even though it might be too late to get involved in the title fight.

January signing Omar Marmoush netted a 14-minute hat trick in the first half of a 4-0 win over Newcastle that lifted Pep Guardiola's team into fourth place — only three points behind Nottingham Forest, which lost at Fulham 2-1.

With Arsenal playing its first game since leading scorer Kai Havertz was ruled out for the season, its makeshift front three struggled to create chances until Merino — a central midfielder — went on in the 69th minute to play as a striker.

The Spain international looked like a natural center forward as he quickly got on the end of two good crosses, heading home a pinpoint ball into the box from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri in the 81st and then steering in a low assist from Leandro Trossard in the 87th.

Arsenal tried and failed to sign a striker in the January transfer window even before Havertz joined a long list of injured forwards, leaving manager Mikel Arteta with no other option than to tell Merino to play up front.

“It was a bit of a surprise because it’s the first time in my career I played that position,” Merino said. “But he told me go on as a striker and to make sure I go with my strengths. I think I solved it.”

The win puts Arsenal within four points of leader Liverpool, which can restore the gap to seven points when it hosts Wolves at home on Sunday.

Leicester remained rooted in the relegation zone, two points behind 17th-place Wolves.

Merino has struggled to carve out a clear role in midfield since joining Arsenal last summer. Perhaps he's found one up front instead.

“He has a sense of danger and great timing in the box,” Arteta said.

Nwaneri, meanwhile, produced another impressive performance to further boost his rapidly growing reputation.

The teenager hit the woodwork twice, shaving the top of the crossbar from outside the area on the hour mark and then hitting the post with a fierce strike in the 76th. And after scoring two spectacular recent goals against Girona in the Champions League and Man City in the league, Nwaneri turned provider this time for Merino’s breakthrough goal.

“He’s an amazing player,” Merino said about Nwaneri, a product of Arsenal's academy. “I’ve been talking to him the whole season that I needed those kinds of balls when I’m arriving in the box. And he has such a wonderful left foot that he put it right on my head, so I could only score.”

Unlike Arsenal, City did bring in reinforcements in January and Marmoush showed just why the club spent a reported 70 million euros ($73 million) on the former Eintracht Frankfurt player.

The Egypt forward netted his first goal for the club after running onto a long ball from goalkeeper Ederson and calmly lobbing it over Martin Dubravka.

It was Ederson's sixth career Premier League assist, a record for goalkeepers. Marmoush netted his second just five minutes later after being teed up in the area by Ilkay Gundogan, and completed his hat trick in the 33rd after Savinho broke into the area and squared for the Egyptian to slot home.

Substitute James McAtee completed the rout in the 84th, but there was a late scare for City as Erling Haaland went off after appearing to hurt his knee late on.

Nottingham Forest's hopes of a surprising top-four finish took a blow as the team's pattern of inconsistency continued at Fulham.

Forest's last two league results were a 5-0 loss at Bournemouth followed by a 7-0 win over Brighton and the team was largely outplayed by a Fulham team that had not won at home since early December.

Calvin Bassey headed home the winner for Fulham after Forest's Chris Wood canceled out the opener by Emile Smith Rowe.

Everton's resurgence under David Moyes continued as Carlos Alcaraz scored an 80th-minute winner to secure a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace. That makes it four wins and a 2-2 draw against archrival Liverpool in Everton's last five league games after Moyes returned to the club last month. The team was up to 13th place, tied with Palace on 30 points.

In other results, Aston Villa managed only 1-1 at home against relegation struggler Ipswich despite Ipswich defender Axel Tuanzebe being sent off for a second booking in the 40th. Ipswich took the lead through Liam Delap in the 56th and Ollie Watkins equalized.

Brentford won at West Ham 1-0, while Bournemouth beat last-placed Southampton 3-1.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Ipswich Town's Liam Delap celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Ipswich at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Saturday Feb. 15, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Fulham's Emile Smith Rowe, right, scores their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match between Fulham and Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage, London, Saturday Feb. 15, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Referee Andy Madley checks on Manchester City's Erling Haaland after he injured himself during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Manchester City's Omar Marmoush scores their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, Saturday Feb. 15, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, left, challenges for the ball with Leicester's Victor Kristiansen during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Arsenal players celebrate after Arsenal's Mikel Merino scored his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Arsenal's Mikel Merino, left, scores his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Arsenal's Mikel Merino, center, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Arsenal's Mikel Merino celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

GENEVA (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday he will appoint an envoy to help shepherd a divided Cyprus toward long-lasting peace, as he hailed a “constructive atmosphere” in talks with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders.

The U.N. chief spoke after an informal meeting in Geneva with Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar that aimed to breathe new life into a peace process on hiatus for nearly eight years.

The Mediterranean island was divided when Turkey invaded the northern part in 1974 following a failed coup by supporters of a union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence, and has more than 35,000 troops in the island’s northern third.

Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the Greek Cypriot south, where the internationally recognized government is seated, enjoys full membership benefits.

“These discussions were held in a constructive atmosphere, with both sides showing clear commitment to making progress and continuing dialogue,” Guterres told reporters.

He said Christodoulides and Tatar agreed to trust-building initiatives on issues like energy, environment, opening four new crossing points along a U.N. controlled buffer zone, youth affairs and de-mining, and that he will appoint an envoy to "prepare the next steps” for a new meeting at the end of July to take stock of progress.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis were on hand for the talks along with Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty of Britain, a former colonial ruler of Cyprus that maintains two military bases on the island.

Although the meeting fell short of the stated aim of reanimating a comatose formal peace process, Christodoulides praised it as a “first, significant, positive step" in that direction.

Getting the peace process back on track faces significant challenges as a wide chasm continues to separate both sides on the kind of peace deal each would like to see.

Tatar and Turkey insist a two-state deal is now the only way to resolve one of the world’s most intractable disputes since the "old" model — a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking zones — is no longer valid after decades of failure.

“For four years I have been promulgating that unless our sovereign equality and sovereign equal international status (to Greek Cypriots) is endorsed, we will not be seating to negotiate the Cyprus problem,” Tatar said after the conclusion of the meeting.

Greek Cypriots say any deal that entrenches the island’s partition is a non-starter as it contravenes long-held U.N. resolutions endorsing a federation.

They also reject a Turkish and Turkish Cypriot demand for a permanent Turkish troop presence and military intervention rights under any accord, as well as a giving the minority Turkish Cypriots veto power over all federal-level government decisions.

Associated Press writer Menelaos Hadjicostis contributed from Nicosia, Cyprus.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar attends a press conference on the day of a meeting to discuss future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Pierre Albouy/Keystone via AP)

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar attends a press conference on the day of a meeting to discuss future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Women sit on a bench next to a checkpoint crossing point at Ledra street in divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A painting showing a soldier is seen across the U.N buffer zone in divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A Cyprus' and a Greek flags, are seen on the pols in the south, as in the background are seen the minarets of the Selimiye mosque, or Cathedral of St Sophia, or Agia Sofia, in the Turkish occupied area in the north, in divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

From left, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar pose for a photo, ahead of a meeting to discuss the future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Pierre Albouy/Keystone via AP)

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar attends a meeting to discuss the future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Pierre Albouy/Keystone via AP)

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides attends a meeting to discuss the future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Pierre Albouy/Keystone via AP)

From left, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar pose for a photo, ahead of a meeting to discuss the future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Pierre Albouy/Keystone via AP)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrives to attend a meeting to discuss the future of stalled peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Pierre Albouy/Keystone via AP)