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Defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has given his thoughts about fellow left-back Kieran Tierney after Arsenal‘s win over Leicester City at the weekend.
THE LOWDOWN: GOOD START
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival from Manchester City this summer has helped Mikel Arteta sort out the issues he had at left-back for much of last season. Arsenal signed Kieran Tierney from Scottish champions Celtic back in 2019 but recurring injury problems since then have denied the club and fans the chance to see him play regularly.
Asides Tierney’s injury struggles, Nuno Tavares arrived as the backup last summer but his erratic displays forced Mikel Arteta to sign Zinchenko this summer. Meanwhile, since moving to London, Tierney has missed 48 competitive games for the Gunners.
While Zinchenko has impressed since he made his debut at left-back, Tierney who barely featured in the preseason preparations has only been able to make cameo appearances in both Premier League games played so far this season. He replaced the Ukrainian on both occasions.
THE LATEST: GOOD DEVELOPMENT
Following Arsenal’s win over Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium over the weekend, defender Zinchenko has labelled Arsenal teammate Kieran Tierney an ‘amazing’ footballer.
“He is an amazing player,” Zinchenko told the Evening Standard.
“Even when I was at City I was watching his games. I think it is a good competition for each of us. We are going to push each other and I think that’s the key. That’s how we need to move on.”
“The most important thing is both of us want to try and help the team as much as we can.”
THE VERDICT: HEALTHY COMPETITION
Zinchenko’s position in the Arsenal team looks settled at the moment. Although he has seen in midfield on several occasions in the two Premier League games played so far, he has not looked out of place at all.
Previously, manager Mikel Arteta described the 25-year-old as a left-back and it is becoming clear that he will continue in that role at the Emirates. At the moment, he is the first choice for the team, because he is more fit, technical and versatile than Tierney.
However it may be, this is the sort of competition needed and the battle to nail a first-team spot will continue for the rest of the season. It would be interesting to see who wins that battle long-term but such competition is very welcome and will only bring the best out of players. In the end, it is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
