It is now vital that Mikel Arteta can find a way to coax the best out of one Arsenal player who struggled to impress last season.
In general, Arsenal were in magnificent form last season as they racked up 89 points in the Premier League and took the title race with Manchester City all the way down to the wire.
The Gunners’ key players, such as Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and William Saliba were bastions of quality and consistency throughout the campaign.
However, Mikel Arteta will still reflect upon the season and note that one or two players failed to produce the standards expected of them.
For instance, Gabriel Jesus endured a torrid time in front of goal, only netting four times in the Premier League. Whilst it is true that injuries hampered his campaign, Arsenal still needed more from him. Jesus has looked re-energised in pre-season though, and very much has a point to prove.
Equally, Oleksandr Zinchenko had a campaign to forget. After the end of the season, the Ukrainian admitted as much himself in an Instagram post. Arsenal can’t afford to carry passengers, and Arteta needs to find a way to get the left-back back to his best.
Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal during a pre season friendly between Arsenal and Liverpool at Lincoln Financial Field on July 31, 2024 in Philadelph…
Why Arsenal need Oleksandr Zinchenko to improve
Following the signing of Riccardo Calafiori and the return to fitness of Jurrien Timber, Arsenal may well be less reliant upon Zinchenko this time around. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten just how good the former Manchester City man can be.
When he first came to the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2022, Zinchenko was a revelation. His inverted interpretation of the left-back role, which sees him drift into the middle of the park and act as an auxiliary playmaker, transformed how Arsenal play.
Arteta once told the media, as quoted by the club’s official website: “We love Alex, he’s given us so much, he’s given us a lot and he’s up there with different qualities.”
However, the 27-year-old is prone to defensive lapses. Arteta seemed to lose faith in Zinchenko last season, with the player described as a “relic,” causing his future to come into question.
However, given that Arsenal have handed Zinchenko a new squad number, which means a great deal to him, it would appear that he is set to remain in North London. If he can rediscover his best form, then the Emirates Stadium faithful will be delighted that he isn’t going anywhere.
Odegaard recently compared Zinchenko to Lionel Messi, which indicates how highly thought of, and talented, he is. Even with all the options available to Arteta in that part of the pitch, the 66-cap Ukraine international still has something to offer.
Competition will boost Arsenal
The challenge of securing regular game time with Timber, Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Jakub Kiwior all also fighting for the same place in the team should be good for Zinchenko. At the very least, whoever is able to nail down the left-back berth will have to be at their very best to do so.
The Gunners must introduce and embrace this level of competition across the squad. The challenge now facing sporting director Edu is to bring in players who can really pose a threat to Arsenal’s star men.
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