Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed that he has been taken aback by how excellent a manager Mikel Arteta is.
When the Ukrainian international signed for the Gunners in the summer for £32 million (Sky Sports), the move was seen as a stepdown for the versatile defender.
After all, the 25-year-old had made a habit of winning trophies at Manchester City over the years.
Lifting four Premier League and Carabao Cup titles apiece as well as one FA Cup during his time at City, many felt the same would not be the case as he reunited with Arteta in North London.
However, so far, the pair look set to create history at Arsenal.
Emerging as the league’s ultimate surprise package by being five points clear of the Sky Blues at the top of the table, there is no denying that the club are firmly in the race to win the title.
Zinchenko surprised by the brilliance of Arteta
In what has been a superb campaign for the Gunners up until this point, even Oleksandr Zinchenko has been caught by surprise at just how excellent Mikel Arteta is as a manager.
“When I arrived at Man City, he was ready to be the head coach since day one. Every single bit of his advice was so important. It was exactly what the player wants to hear, especially for the young players”, he told Sky Sports.
Zinchenko continued, “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 by I came to Arsenal. He’s obviously improved since I saw him the last time at City. I hope and I have no doubt he is going to grow as a manager for sure.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s glowing assessment of Mikel Arteta just speaks volumes of how well-respected he is within the Arsenal dressing room.
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