MY ACCOUNT
Arsenal march into today’s clash with Southampton top of the Premier League table with nine wins from 10 games so far this season.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have been firing on all cylinders since a superb transfer window turned them into title contenders.
One of the summer arrivals was Oleksandr Zinchenko, who worked under the Spaniard at Manchester City and has slotted in seamlessly.
With injury-prone Scot Kieran Tierney providing another solid option at left-back, Arteta has a decision to make when the pair are both fit.
We take a look at the battle to be Arsenal’s first choice on the left of defence ahead of the trip to the South Coast.
Zin it to win it
Zinchenko announced his arrival in North London with an assist in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on his competitive debut for the club.
The Ukrainian playmaker instantly looked the part, playing his tactical role to perfection as he found space on the left flank to pull the strings.
He was also heavily involved against Leicester and Bournemouth but knee and calf issues have limited him to two Premier League appearances since.
Zinchenko, 25, knows exactly how Arteta wants him to operate and is perfectly suited to cutting inside to offer another passing option in midfield when the Gunners are in possession.
But his persistent injury problems have left the door open for a challenge to his spot in the XI.
Kieran is top tier
Tierney’s undoubted ability has been on display since he arrived at the Emirates from Celtic in 2019.
But the Scot, 25, has struggled to stay fit and is yet to play over 30 times in one campaign for the Gunners.
After starting the season on the bench, Zinhenko’s injuries have opened the door for Tierney to impress but the full-back has not been at his electric best and looks be behind his team-mate in the pecking order.
Tierney is most adept at charging down the flank and getting to the byline, which is not an ideal fit for Arteta’s style, but he is more robust defensively than the ex-Citizen.
He was overlooked for the 1-0 win at Leeds as Takehiro Tomiyasu got the nod at left-back. The Japan ace’s tendency to cut inside onto his stronger right foot allowed Arsenal’s forwards to provide the width in front of a compact back four.
The middle ground
Zinchenko was converted into a full-back by Pep Guardiola as Arteta’s mentor believed he had the right attributes for his demanding tactical set-up.
But the Ukraine international is often deployed as an attacking midfielder to great effect by his country, popping up with vital goals and assists as well as dictating his side’s tempo.
Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have performed superbly in tandem this season but Arsenal’s options in the engine room look light behind them.
Versatile Zinchenko could easily slot into one of those roles should he be needed, which would allow Arteta to use both of his left-sided defenders at the same time.
A good problem to have
Having already reached the Europa League knockout stages with a perfect record from four group outings so far, Arsenal will have plenty of football to play between now and the end of the season.
Tierney, Zinchencko and even the versatile Tomiyasu will all likely have large roles to play with squad rotation a necessity in a jam-packed schedule due to the winter World Cup.
Both missed out on a ticket to Qatar and will hope to be fit and firing when domestic action resumes at Christmas.
In the meantime, Tierney will have a shot to impress with Zinchenko a major doubt for the Gunners’ clash with Southampton and can stake his claim for a starting berth going forwards.
