By Jahid Islam
Hello, readers of We Love You Arsenal! I’m Jahid (@JahidFullStop) back again writing for WLYABlog. This week’s article looks at Oleksandr Zinchenko, our £32million signing from Manchester City, and how he’s helped us start the season off fantastically, in more ways than one.
After 6 years and 128 appearances for Manchester City, a switch to the Emirates and reunification with Mikel Arteta promised regular game time for the versatile Ukrainian. It also provided him with a chance to establish himself as an experienced leader in the youthful dressing room down at N7.
No matter how much foreshadowing I sprinkle in, I can’t have predicted that after 4 games Zinny would have his own chant and already be a crucial member in the team.
In the first three games of the season, Zinny’s started as a left back on the team sheet and inverted centrally alongside Partey and White. He’s helped formed the core of a midfield that’s comfortable in possession, technically proficient enough to carry momentum through transitions from the defence into attack, and one that exudes defensive acumen that we lacked in times last season.
Zinchenko’s versatility offers things that a Kieran Tierney might not. Whilst the two ‘left backs’ share the supposed same position, their styles of play differ dramatically, each with their benefits and drawbacks.
With Tierney, he’s a blisteringly quick player with the ability to offer support out wide to Martinelli, spam in threatening crosses like it’s a Fifa 17 Ultimate team game, as well as track back and win the ball in instances of counter attacks. But that’s not to say that he can’t play centrally either. Against Fulham, he made Zinchenko-esque runs that demonstrated his own versatility, albeit not to the extent or competency as Zinny.
On the other hand, Zinchenko’s flight of foot isn’t one of his main strengths. Rather, his ability on the ball and centrally inclining tendencies enable him to get on the ball more and offer a more creative threat from the left half space.
That added flexibility to deploy either player, when fit of course, introduces an element of unpredictability and danger to Mikel’s team selection that we were limited with. In the 2020/21 season, silencing Tierney nearly neutered the majority of our creative threat from the left side, and became a key weakness that was exploited by opposition defences. From what we’ve seen this season though, it’s a little bit different now.
Moreover, Zinchenko’s inversion has enabled Granit Xhaka to focus on being more of a box presence. The Swiss has put in stonking performances as more of an out and out number 8, with less focus on the build-up.
Away from the pitch, well actually about 5 metres or so away, Zinchenko’s passion overflowed at times in the Fulham game, with his confronting of the fourth official being a prime example. There’s also his joining in with the celebrations for Gabriel’s winner, leaping off the bench despite being sidelined with a knee sprain to rejoice with his teammates.
You hear that Richard Keys? We celebrated that 2-1 win like it meant a lot… because it did. It’s a season full to the brim with hope, optimism, and potential for glory after years of despair. So I’ll be damned if I can’t jump up and down on my sofa after an 86th minute winner to keep us on the top of the Premier League table.
Anyway, Zinchenko’s extra years at the top of English football have put him in good stead to be a natural leader and mentor to the younger players in the squad, of which we’ve got countless. His talent on the pitch provides credence to a more mature and positive way of operating that can only motivate the rest of the squad to work as hard as our new number 35. If we do achieve success this season, whatever your parameters of success are, I bet that Zinchenko will have been a crucial part in it.
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