Oleksandr Zinchenko made his non-competitive debut for the Gunners last night as he helped the team beat Chelsea 4-0 in their final pre-season game of the U.S. tour.
The Ukrainian international only arrived a few days ago but was eager to play, according to Mikel Arteta. With Kieran Tierney recovering from injury and Nuno Tavares the subject of loan interest, Zinchenko got his wish and started the match.
However, he got the fans talking even before kicking a ball after doing something that an Arsenal favourite is known for. When the team came together to have their pre-match photo taken, Zinchenko put his hands on the knees of Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard as he knelt down, this is a ritual that former Gunners' fan favourite Santi Cazorla did every time in the same scenario.
READ MORE: What Gabriel Jesus said to Granit Xhaka as Arsenal thrash Chelsea in final pre-season tour clash
One supporter noticed it and posted the picture on Reddit with the caption 'Zini Cazorla', while others picked up on a separate similarity once the game was underway.
"When I watched his compilation video, it really did feel like having Santi in Left Back. I missed that little magician and his on-field swag, glad to have someone who comes close!', another user posted.
Zinchenko only completed 45 minutes, but it was a positive first glimpse of what he will bring to Arsenal's backline when he operates there and Arteta was pleased with what he saw.
"He was desperate to play and I knew that," he said. "It was a maximum 45 minutes but you could see straight away he was comfortable. He understands everything that I want, he understands the process and I thought he had a really good game."
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