Pundit raves about £32m Arsenal player who made the team ‘immediately better’

Mon 4 September 2023 7:15, UK

Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko made the perfect first start of the season against Manchester United yesterday.

The 2 Robbies Podcast, Robbie Mustoe was raving about the Ukrainian international.

As they entered extra time at the Emirates yesterday, the game was very much in the balance between Arsenal and Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta’s side had been the better side for much of the game but couldn’t put their chances away.

Up steps Declan Rice to score his first goal for the club after his move who sent the Emirates wild.

In the 101th minute, Gabriel Jesus made sure of all three points with a fantastic counter-attacking goal.

Arsenal looked more solid in defence against Man United and that’s partly down to Oleksandr Zinchenko.

He was the fourth different player to start at left-back for the club this season but the position should be his after the international break.

Zinchenko stars for Arsenal against United

Speaking about Arsenal’s win yesterday, : “Going back to the back four, the foundation of last season, it’s night and day.

“It just looked better, felt better. Ben White going up the wing, overlapping, again supporting Bukayo Saka on that side.

“[Oleksandr] Zinchenko, I think is a really brilliant footballer, comes into midfield, is the extra man, he knits everything together.

“So, that looked immediately better.”

The defender was a surprise omission against Fulham last weekend despite being fit enough for the

Zinchenko’s positioning in midfield for Arsenal gave Man United so many problems yesterday.

It created an overload that Casemiro couldn’t cope with as United’s only defensively-minded midfielder.

Arteta has tinkered with his tactics slightly this season and although they’ve only dropped two points, they’ve not looked as strong as last year.

Zinchenko’s return appeared to immediately fix that and it would be a real surprise to see him not regularly starting going forward.

Arsenal will be hoping his fitness record improves having missed most of pre-season.

With Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber now injured, Zinchenko is suddenly the only full-back who can invert into midfield effectively.