Oleksandr Zinchenko produced a moment of brilliance for Arsenal against PSV last night, scoring a stunning goal from midfield with his left foot.
The Ukrainian has not been a regular starter at the Emirates recently, with Mikel Arteta opting for other options in his position. However, with Arsenal holding a comfortable advantage from the first leg, Arteta rotated his squad, giving Zinchenko a rare opportunity to start. He made the most of his chance, delivering a goal that delighted both fans and his manager.
Zinchenko’s strike was the kind of goal supporters often expect from Martin Odegaard, given the Norwegian’s left-footed ability and midfield role. Odegaard frequently finds himself in similar positions but has not always capitalised on them. Arsenal has been searching for goals from midfield for some time, and Zinchenko’s performance suggests he could be a valuable option in that regard.
Arteta was pleased with the goal and the additional attacking threat that Zinchenko offers. Speaking about the midfielder’s strike, the Arsenal boss said, as quoted by Arsenal Media:
“Martin has done it as well. I think Alex’s finish was great. He’s got the ability to do that, to carry the ball and in those spaces to put the ball in the back of the net. I’m really happy, because we have found another solution as well to fit his qualities and what the team is demanding at the moment. So it’s really good to have him in that condition.”
Zinchenko has struggled for consistent game time this season, but moments like this could force Arteta to reconsider his role in the squad. If he continues to make an impact in the limited minutes he gets, Arsenal may well look to utilise him more frequently as they push for success on multiple fronts.
His ability to contribute offensively from deep could prove useful as Arsenal seeks additional goal-scoring outlets to complement their attacking play.
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
The “solution” has been staring our Manager in the face for some time in that Zinchenko is first and foremost, an attacking midfielder and not an inverted left back.Zinchenko can provide real competition for Odegaard who should not be an automatic pick because he happens to be our Captain.
It’s only taken Arteta 3 years Grandad to reach this conclusion. So that’s why the club pay him the big bucks.😂😉👍🙄
Zinchenko had a good performance against PSV. He had played MF for his international side for years. However, he couldn’t get into MC’s MF. He has actually occasionally played in MF for Arsenal. Odegaard is simply better than Zinchenko as an attacking midfielder.
Agree David. Zinny shouldn’t be used as an inverted LB but imo he is not quite good enough for MC’s or our starting midfield on a regular basis. A squad player in the right circumstances perhaps and he would certainly be effective in the starting midfield of several PL clubs.
Odegaard has had a difficult season as have several others but he is still a special player who has imo earned his place in the starting lineup. However, I do believe Gabriel would be a better captain.
Martin is also so important to us having any semblance of an effective press and also has an extraordinary work rate. I just wish Jesus was still able to help him terrorize the opponents keepers, lol. When the settled team returns, so will much of what we haven’t been seeing as much from him lately.
Zinny can play several different roles including LB. Depends on the opponent and game state.
As far as I’m concerned Odegaard is fine as captain. The debate about the captain is quite unnecessary and I really don’t see why this keeps being raised as an issue.
I agree about Odegaard’s work rate. This season hasn’t been his best but he’s still essential to the way we play especially against higher level opponents.
David, I don’t have a problem with Odegaard being our captain but he would not be my first choice. Regarding why the captaincy has been discussed, I believe it is because the club’s results haven’t been what we were hoping for coming into the season and we’re searching for the best source of extra motivation for the players to overcome the various obstacles. Martin has had a difficult season and Gabriel’s persona has been one of overcoming problems whether it takes being mad or sometimes being bad.
Yes agree Grandad, slapping him in the face as an option he has never used.
Pressing matters a lot in Mikel’s system, which Martin offers in abundance and relentlessly too but same can’t be said with Alex due to his lack of pace and stamina. It is evident in his comments to Declan after the game regarding his role in the game last night.
I was not suggesting that Zinchenko is a 90min per game replacement for Odegaard, but that surely he can be trusted for 20/30 mins ,particularly when our Captain is tiring or is way below par.To keep the likes of Zinchenko and Tierney,both seasoned internationalists, as permanent bench warmers shows a lack of awareness and is basically poor Management.
Spot on. I don’t know why obvious things take Arteta some time to see and understand. The next thing now is, ARTETA, PLEASE PLAY MARTINELLI AS OUR NUMBER 9 for the rest of the season. He can’t be as bad as Merino in that position, and he will be far better than Trosard as well as a central striker. Will he do it? I doubt.