ARSENAL LEGEND EXPLAINS WHAT HE ‘CAN’T UNDERSTAND’ ABOUT OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO
ARSENAL LEGEND EXPLAINS WHAT HE ‘CAN’T UNDERSTAND’ ABOUT OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO
Arsenal legend David O’Leary admits he ‘cannot understand’ why Manchester City allowed Oleksandr Zinchenko to join Premier League title rivals Arsenal during the summer of 2022.
In Pep Guardiola’s defence, it’s not as if City could have been expected to predict Arsenal’s remarkable rise over the last eight months or so.
Mikel Arteta finished four places and a staggering 24 points behind his old mentor just last season, after all. But, as O’Leary points out, the quality and experience both Zinchenko and fellow Etihad export Gabriel Jesus brought to North London have elevated Arsenal ‘to another level’.
In Pep Guardiola’s defence, it’s not as if City could have been expected to predict Arsenal’s remarkable rise over the last eight months or so.
Mikel Arteta finished four places and a staggering 24 points behind his old mentor just last season, after all. But, as O’Leary points out, the quality and experience both Zinchenko and fellow Etihad export Gabriel Jesus brought to North London have elevated Arsenal ‘to another level’.
Zinchenko has been a transformative addition in that hybrid left-back/playmaker role; Arteta utilising a tactic he learned from Guardiola during their time together in the North West to devastating effect.
OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO SWAPPED MANCHESTER CITY FOR ARSENAL
OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO SWAPPED MANCHESTER CITY FOR ARSENAL
“Mikel has taken this (tactic) from Man City,” O’Leary, a First Division champion with Arsenal in 1989 and 1991, tells talkSPORT (31 March, 8.50am). “Zinchenko has been a revelation. I cannot understand why Man City sold him.
“Is he a left back? I mean, he is quite happy to play in midfield. He can handle the ball so well. He is such a good player. What a great addition.
“Those two City lads have taken us to another level.”
Arsenal could yet bring in another couple of players with the Sky Blues on their CV. The Premier League leaders are big fans of Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, the £14 million midfield wonderkid who left Manchester City less that 12 months ago.
The Gunners are also keen to offer Brahim Diaz a fresh start in England. Diaz left City for Real Madrid but is currently out on loan at Serie A champions AC Milan.
Arsenal could yet bring in another couple of players with the Sky Blues on their CV. The Premier League leaders are big fans of Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, the £14 million midfield wonderkid who left Manchester City less that 12 months ago.
The Gunners are also keen to offer Brahim Diaz a fresh start in England. Diaz left City for Real Madrid but is currently out on loan at Serie A champions AC Milan.
Zinchenko, meanwhile, would surely sit somewhere near the top of the list if you were to rank all the signings made by Premier League clubs during the summer of 2022, the eternally-underrated Ukraine international brushing shoulders with Erling Haaland, Casemiro and co.
“He’s brought quality. He’s brought so much,” team-mate Bukayo Saka tells the Daily Mail.
“You can see how he plays and how he controls game. He’s an outstanding player. He is not only a quality player, he has outstanding leadership qualities. He’s helping us on both fronts.”
“‘He’s got a bit of fire about him and he uses it in ways that help him. On the pitch he uses it to get him going and to win the duels. He also has that other side to him, the balance in his head he needs to play well.”
“He’s brought quality. He’s brought so much,” team-mate Bukayo Saka tells the Daily Mail.
“You can see how he plays and how he controls game. He’s an outstanding player. He is not only a quality player, he has outstanding leadership qualities. He’s helping us on both fronts.”
“‘He’s got a bit of fire about him and he uses it in ways that help him. On the pitch he uses it to get him going and to win the duels. He also has that other side to him, the balance in his head he needs to play well.”
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