Oleksandr Zinchenko has proven to be one of the best signings of the summer, but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta likely already knew that would be the case. The £32million deal to bring the versatile defender to the club from Manchester City looks a bargain deal secured by Edu in hindsight given his value to the Gunners so far this season.
In an idea first pitched by Arteta during his time at City, Zinchenko has mastered the inverted full-back role and it is proving to be a great weapon for Arsenal. Having that new dimension to their play has helped Granit Xhaka take up a freer role, while Gabriel Martinelli and now Leandro Trossard have been beneficiaries of Zinchenko's abilities.
Despite being in an advanced role when Arsenal are in possession, Zinchenko is not exactly known for his contributions in front of goal; that is until recently.
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A well-worked corner was fired home by Zinchenko from the edge of the box against Aston Villa and he also found himself directly involved in a crucial goal against Everton on Wednesday. The Toffees had held firm for the first 40 minutes but were undone by an inch-perfect pass through the lines by Zinchenko, which was finished emphatically by Saka.
Speaking about Zinchenko's contribution after the game, Arteta said: "That’s why we brought him, because he brings something different to the team. His mentality and his quality to do certain things that allows us to be more unpredictable, to generate a lot of threat every time we’re in ball possession. He’s played those kinds of games against low blocks 200 times and that’s very helpful."
Following his arrival, in a clip that resurfaced on Reddit after his defence-splitting pass, Zinchenko was informed that Arsenal fans were excited to see him play, although the Ukraine international quipped back with a tongue-in-cheek joke. He asked: "Do they know that I'm not [Kevin] De Bruyne?" Referencing the strange misconception that the duo are long lost brothers because they look similar. "I need to ask because maybe they are confused," he continued.
Asked about how it all started, he said: "It was just at the beginning, I'm much more handsome than him! We won't talk about football skills, because you cannot compare." While at the time the last part of his sentence was potentially accurate, Zinchenko's performances this season, particularly recently with his latest assist, certainly showcase he is not as far off De Bruyne's ability as he perhaps thinks.
Of course there is no great debate needed, but Zinchenko has stepped forward in the big moments with divine quality, something that De Bruyne does at City regularly.
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