It is clear at this point in Arsenal’s evolution into Premier League title challengers that Mikel Arteta has a clear idea of what he wants from a full-back.
And unfortunately for Oleksandr Zinchenko, he no longer fits the bill. The small, technical, attack-minded Ukrainian has been left behind this season, with the more defensively-solid Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori both ahead of him in the left-back pecking order.
Is there any remaining hope for Zinchenko to make a success of his time at the Emirates Stadium? The 27-year-old has used the international break as a platform to show Arteta that he may be wise to think outside the box.
The vast majority of Zinchenko’s Premier League career – at Manchester City and now Arsenal – has been spent at left-back. But much of his younger years were in midfield, and he still plays there for the Ukrainian national team.
Zinchenko has only scored twice in 133 Premier League appearances, although his record at international level is much more handsome, netting 10 times in 69 games since making his debut as a teenager.
The Gunners man started as one of the two advanced central midfielders in a 4-1-4-1 on Tuesday night, scoring Ukraine’s opening goal in a 2-1 win over Albania. And his finish was superb, directing the ball into the bottom corner with a well-timed volley.
That Arteta rarely, if ever considers Zinchenko for a midfield role is a bit of a head-scratcher. Arsenal’s options were depleted during Martin Odegaard’s recent injury absence, and while Zinchenko was sidelined himself until late October, he still didn’t get a look in after regaining fitness.
With Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Declan Rice taking care of the deeper-lying roles, it seems as though Arteta does not consider Zinchenko to be one of his more forward-thinking options in amongst Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Ethan Nwaneri.
For Zinchenko, forcing his way into the midfield picture may be his last hope of finding a route into Arteta’s long-term plans. Otherwise, with his contract into its final 18 months, he may not have long left in north London.
Given his sticky situation, the international break is a valuable opportunity for Zinchenko to show Arteta what he can do when given game time. Whether his impressive outing in the Ukrainian midfield resonates with his manager remains to be seen.
