There is no doubt that Arsenal’s four-time Premier League-winning new signing will elevate The Gunners’ quality and mentality on and off the pitch. And while Zinchenko’s versatility as both a full-back and midfielder will be valued by a manager who favours tactical flexibility, the structure and success of the Arsenal side could depend heavily on the deployment of the Ukrainian star.
ARSENAL’S NEW LEFT-BACK?
The most obvious place for Oleksandr Zinchenko in the Arsenal side is at left-back, where he spent much of his time at Manchester City and where Mikel Arteta was keen to stress was his new man’s main position. The Arsenal boss has so often favoured a 3-2-5 style of build-up, and Zinchenko’s skillset as a killer passer of the football would definitely suit a role in the midfield ‘2’ next to Thomas Partey.
Indeed, this tactical set-up was clear to see barely two minutes into his pre-season debut against Chelsea, where his tucking in next to Partey as the build-up developed down the left-hand side allowed the left-sided central midfielder, Xhaka, freedom between the lines and the winger, here Martinelli, the freedom of the channel.
In contrast to Arsenal’s current first-team left-back, Kieran Tierney, Zinchenko’s Manchester City education has given him the tools to play on the interior of the Arsenal side. Tierney has thrived when playing on the extremities, but his pace and power-oriented ‘knock and run’ style of build-up has often left Partey isolated in the middle of the park when possession is turned over.
For a man who has struggled with injury since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2020, Partey would also benefit from the added protection of Zinchenko on the interior. It would make Arsenal be far less susceptible to breakaway goals, a weakness which was exploited away at Newcastle and Tottenham at the back end of last season to deny the Gunners a valuable Champions League spot.
Arteta has at times favoured a 2-3-5 formation in attack, especially in games against lower-rated opposition, where dominance of the football high up the field is to be expected for an Arsenal side growing in technical security.
Zinchenko’s deployment at left-back on the left-hand side of the Gunners’ ‘3’ allows him to not only be at his devastating best in an advanced left-sided role, but also to re-establish his link with Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal’s similarities to Manchester City in their build-up and favouring of high and wide wingers in attack to stretch defences means Zinchenko will find himself time and again with space in central areas high up the pitch such as the one below, and the combination of his pinpoint passing ability and Jesus’ poacher instincts within the six-yard box will make Arsenal more clinical from balls into the box from open play.
Zinchenko completely fits the profile of a left-back in a Mikel Arteta system, especially considering that one of Arsenal’s main failures under Arteta has been the ability to effectively see games out. The Ukrainian’s killer passing accuracy, ranking in the 98th percentile in Europe’s top 5 leagues, will allow Arsenal to see games out more efficiently than before.
By contrast, Tierney’s passing accuracy lies in a lowly 53rd percentile. Although it is important to bear in mind the different roles and teams the two players have been in, there is no doubt that Zinchenko offers Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal a far more technically secure option at left-back.
ARSENAL’S NEW CENTRAL MIDFIELDER?
It is also possible that Zinchenko will play in the ‘left eight’ for his new side. He is no stranger to a midfield role; originally a creative midfielder, he was remoulded to fill a defensive void for City and continues to play in the middle of the park for Ukraine. Zinchenko could be seen as a long-term replacement for Granit Xhaka, a player who has been a seemingly perpetual odds-on favourite to exit the club since 2019.
Xhaka’s role as an advanced playmaker has been an uncomfortable fit at times, with Xhaka’s traditionally taking up a position of cover behind an attacking left back. Whether he eventually moves on or slots back into a deep-lying midfield role, Zinchenko would tick all the boxes as a more than adequate replacement for Xhaka.
Going forward, his ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and passes in Europe’s top 5 leagues is indicative of his technical brilliance. Despite his defensive numbers being seemingly unimpressive – he averages barely 10 pressures per 90, almost half that of Martin Ødegaard in Arteta’s high pressing game – his weaknesses running back towards his own goal can be minimised in much the same way as Xhaka’s were when situated higher up the field.
THE VERDICT
Ultimately, the position in which Zinchenko will most likely collect the bulk of his minutes will be left-back, given the susceptibility of Kieran Tierney to injury – he has missed over 40% of all league games since signing from Celtic, with his absences scuppering Arsenal’s Europa League hunt in 2021 and Top 4 pursuit in 2022.
Arsenal’s links with Youri Tielemans indicate a desire for another attacking midfielder, and Mikel Arteta may well tap into his current squad for options, with the likes of Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe and Albert Sambi Lokonga all viable options to operate in the ‘left eight’ position. But the introduction of five substitutions to the Premier League rulebook from 2022/23 complicates a final answer even further.
Arteta has already been known to seek players who are tactically flexible to fit into his fluid system of back threes, fours and fives, and so an option like Zinchenko to cover multiple bases will give The Gunners the ability to change their approach from game to game as well as within games. So, the answer to the question “Where will Zinchenko play?” is that there is no final answer. What is for certain, however, is that he will give Arsenal the technical security and assuredness that Mikel Arteta so desires, and will allow The Gunners to dominate football matches on a far more regular basis.
