Oleksandr Zinchenko has labelled Pep Guardiola a 'genius', and admitted that his former manager has greatly influenced Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Zinchenko won four Premier League titles over five seasons playing for Manchester City, and this season he once again finds himself involved in a title race. However, this time he's wearing the red of Arsenal rather than the sky blue of City, following his £32m transfer in the summer.
Zinchenko certainly knows what it takes to win the Premier League then, although much of his success can be attributed to Guardiola. The Ukrainian joined City a few days after the Catalan coach, and enjoyed an remarkable rise up the ranks under his tutelage.
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Speaking to Amazon Prime Sport ahead of Arsenal's Boxing Day meeting with West Ham, the ex-City defender was asked to describe his former manager in one word.
"Genius," he said. "He just wants to win everything. That's the mentality, I don't know how to explain it. It's about when you drop some points, you have to be upset. That's the mentality, that's the spirit."
When asked by the interviewer whether that means every defeat has to hurt, he replied: "Yeah, this is the winning mentality."
Arsenal currently sit eight points clear of City at the top of the table, but the Gunners have not won English football's biggest prize since 2004. Arteta is the coach looking to end the Gunners' drought, and Zinchenko has every confidence he will do so.
Arteta spent three years at City as Guardiola's assistant, and worked closely with Zinchenko. The 26-year-old said he saw potential in Arteta back then to become a top manager.
"Since I arrived at City, I realised since day one that he [Arteta] would be an amazing manager, for sure. He was ready, every [piece] of advice [he gave] was important. I think the potential he has... I can't even tell you his limits."
When asked what Arteta took from Guardiola, Zinchenko was clear: "I think the vision, they see football in a very very similar way."
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