Oleksandr Zinchenko believes Mikel Arteta’s ability to communicate key advice to his players is what makes him a successful manager.
Arsenal sit five points clear at the top of the Premier Leaguer after their brilliant start to the season, and they will hope to pick up from where they left off before the World Cup when they host West Ham on Boxing Day.
On more than one occasion since he took over as Arsenal boss, Arteta has found himself under pressure after a string of poor results, most recently at the end of the last season when the Gunners collapsed to miss out on the top four.
That pressure on his job is firmly in the past now though, with Arteta and his side as popular with the fans as any Arsenal team in a long time.
Zinchenko arrived in north London in the summer, both he and Gabriel Jesus signing from Manchester City where they worked with Arteta when he was assistant coach under Pep Guardiola.
The Ukrainian, who missed Arsenal’s opening friendly in Dubai but confirmed he is “nearly there” in his recovery from injury, admitted he has been surprised at just how much Arteta has improved since then.
“When I arrived at Man City, he was ready to be the head coach since day one,” Zinchenko told Sky Sports.
“Every single bit of his advice was so important - it was exactly what the player wants to hear, especially for the young players.
“After every single session, he used to work a lot with the young players and the exercises, talks and advice were so, so important. That’s the amazing quality he has.
“You can be a top [former] footballer, but you may not know what you should say or when you should say it. He’s got this quality.
“I’ve been surprised since I came to Arsenal. He’s obviously improved since I saw him the last time at City, he’s amazing. I hope and I have no doubt he is going to grow as a manager for sure.”
