The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer sparked a discussion surrounding where the Ukrainian would play and if it was to be at left-back, where the majority of his Manchester City appearances had been, what would happen to Kieran Tierney. Zinchenko indeed came straight into the left-back position and changed the face of it immediately.
Instead of the touchline-hugging Tierney, Arsenal had an inverted full-back in Zinchenko, who combined with Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli better in build-up play. Tierney has been a huge asset to the side and was one of, if not the most, creative asset in the side for a time.
His crossing was a key part of Arsenal’s dominant left flank; however, Arteta has gradually moved away from excessive crossing into smart build-up play. The wide areas remain key, but the style of chance creation has become far more varied and unpredictable, many thanks to Martin Odegaard’s inclusion and, more recently, Gabriel Jesus, who has tied so much of it together with his movement and goal threat.
