In the absence of cameras or access to conversations, it is likely we will never find out the inner workings behind Manchester City‘s willingness to sell two players to Arsenal last summer.
Allowing those on the periphery to seek pastures new and greater game-time opportunities elsewhere is perhaps the simple explanation, but rarely are players sold to direct rivals.
The assumption has been, therefore, that City quite simply did not view Arsenal as rivals when selling Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko for a combined £77m.
But the current Premier League table paints a thousand words, and ahead of the first of two title showdowns it does the job for us in explaining just how wrong City were. Scratch that. How wrong we all were. Including those at Arsenal, as Zinchenko discovered when joining a team still reeling from missing out on the top four and preparing for another season heavy on Thursdays and Sundays.
More from Football
“I started to speak in the dressing room like, ‘guys, forget top three or whatever, we need to think about the title’. Some of them were laughing, but now no one is laughing,” the Ukrainian said last month.
“When I arrived, the quality I saw, obviously I knew the Arsenal team, I knew all of them before, but still I realised on the pitch we have everything to achieve the big things.”
Zinchenko arrived a four-time Premier League champion, and along with Jesus he is targeting a third straight title, this time under a manager who also learned his trade under Pep Guardiola at City.
As a result, the joke has been that Guardiola and City fancied a challenge and so helped shape Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal into contenders. Who better to help than a close former colleague, after all, but this hardly does the Gunners justice, nor indeed shed light on the mentality shift that Zinchenko has instilled within the squad – and among their fanbase too.
Arsenal’s player of the month for January, Zinchenko won the supporters’ vote ahead of Eddie Nketiah and Martin Odegaard, proof the fans have warmed to the 26-year-old whose exuberant celebrations outline his passion for the cause.
But it is not just enthusiasm and attitude that is winning Arsenal fans over, for Zinchenko’s performances are exemplary too. His comfort on the ball makes him a calming influence at the back, and it is a quality his former City team-mates were more than aware of.
Kyle Walker did not even hesitate when listing Zinchenko among City’s top three most “technically gifted” players last year, along with Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva – no Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden or Jack Grealish in sight.
“He’s incredible,” Walker said of Zinchenko to YouTuber Timbsy. “Two touches, head tennis, incredible. So, so good. It’s leaving the likes of De Bruyne out, Phil Foden, Grealish, [Joao] Cancelo, but it’s scary, they don’t come close to them three.”
This takes us full circle to question City’s reasoning behind selling Zinchenko, an accomplished full-back capable of playing in midfield as well.
Sure, Guardiola would not have foreseen Cancelo’s January departure, with a reported bust-up pushing the left-back towards a Bayern Munich loan move, but now City are desperately short in that department – with Bukayo Saka the next test for City’s left side on Wednesday night.
More on Arsenal FC
Haaland suffers 'big knock' in Aston Villa win ahead of Man City's pivotal Arsenal title clash12 February, 2023
Arsenal and Brighton were let down by VAR but sacking Lee Mason is not the answer12 February, 2023
The Emirates is a fortress that could win Arsenal the title - it's become as key as any player11 February, 2023That could be Rico Lewis, it could be Nathan Ake, or again it could be a three-man defence with Foden or Grealish tasked with tracking back – honestly, who knows with Guardiola – but regardless, it is difficult to shift the sense that it would have been Zinchenko stepping up in Cancelo’s absence.
Instead, Zinchenko wanted a greater role and so he is now on the other side of this title race. He has become a major factor behind Arsenal’s quest to end this 19-year wait, meaning it could prove to be the transfer of the season – although that free-scoring Norwegian lad up in Manchester will have something to say about that. On Wednesday night, and in the months to come.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/ScYlmr9
Post a Comment