The German center-back Mertesacker, standing at a height of 198 cm, might be nothing special among basketball players, but in the football world, he's practically a bug-like existence.
Across the entire Premier League, the only player taller than him is the 201 cm Crouch, who plays for Stoke City.
The German center-back's performance in this match was arguably the best of the lot.
In aerial duels against big players like Yaya Toure, Ranocchia, and Iheanacho, he frequently had the upper hand. According to statistics, he's had 13 aerial duels so far, winning 12 of them, demonstrating his absolute dominance in controlling the air space!
However, as time progressed, the players' stamina and focus gradually waned.
Especially for defensive players, a momentary lapse might lead to a mistake.
In the 92nd minute, Ranocchia had already moved up to the center forward position.
