It almost went unnoticed at the time but, in the final stages of Arsenal’s win over Burnley before the international break, Mikel Arteta did something he has never done before.
The team needed a reshuffle after Fabio Vieira was sent off with seven minutes to go, so Arteta put Jakub Kiwior on at left-back and pushed Oleksandr Zinchenko into midfield.
It is a move that Arsenal fans have been crying out for this season given the side’s struggles in attack and their difficulty in replacing Granit Xhaka.
Zinchenko started his career as a No10 and has long excelled in midfield for Ukraine, leading many to believe he could do so for Arsenal.
His brief cameo there against Burnley, however, is likely to remain just that given that Arteta has shown a reluctance to play him in that position.
It was Arteta’s idea when he was an assistant coach at Manchester City to convert Zinchenko into a left-back.
The Spaniard believed the 26-year-old could tuck inside, creating an overload in midfield, and it has proved effective.
That has especially been the case at Arsenal and it was noticeable how many of the Gunners’ worst performances last season came when Zinchenko was absent. The Ukrainian makes the Gunners tick, even from left-back.
When Zinchenko joined the club in the summer of 2022, Arteta described him as a “unique” player and that has born true.
Kieran Tierney struggled to replicate what the Ukrainian does, so much so that he was loaned to Real Sociedad this summer.
Takehiro Tomiyasu has shown promise in that role now, but it has taken him nearly 18 months to get to grips with it.
Tomiyasu’s defensive prowess makes him viable competition for Zinchenko, and underlines the depth Arsenal now have in their squad.
"Zinchenko started his career as a No10 and has long excelled in midfield for Ukraine, leading many to believe he could do so for Arsenal"
It is very much a ‘horses for courses’ approach at left-back. When Arsenal are playing a side against whom they will dominate the ball, Zinchenko starts. Against opponents who carry a greater threat in attack, Tomiyasu gets the nod.
Zinchenko’s form has dipped at times this season and his influence has waned, but much of that can be put down to what is ahead of him.
The left side of the attack has been hit hard, with Xhaka leaving the club and Gabriel Martinelli battling fitness issues.
That has had a knock-on effect on Zinchenko, who has struggled to orchestrate proceedings in his usual way.
Nonetheless, he remains Arsenal’s “unique” weapon and perhaps the only way he could be shifted into midfield is when Jurrien Timber returns to fitness.
The Dutchman was signed in the summer and excelled at left-back in pre-season, but a knee injury in the opening Premier League game means he will be out for many more months.
Had he been fit, it would have presented an intriguing scenario where Arteta could have used Timber and Tomiyasu as his left-backs, with Zinchenko pushed into midfield.
