Kevin Campbell has claimed that Oleksandr Zinchenko has come into Arsenal ‘like he has been playing in the team for five years’, as he told the Highbury Squad.
It was only 45 minutes, but Arsenal fans got a taste of what Zinchenko is all about when he featured for 45 minutes during his side’s 4-0 pre-season win against Chelsea in the USA and Campbell labelled him as a ‘smart’ footballer.
Well, that’s exactly what the Gunners are getting with the one-touch expert, who Mikel Arteta will know inside out after they worked together at the Etihad.
That is a huge boost for the club because it allows, both Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, to settle in a lot quicker and the latter has certainly done that during pre-season.
Nonetheless, this is what Campbell had to say about the new boy on Arsenal’s block and what he has made of him so far.
“I think he trained once with the team,” said Campbell. “He comes in there and he looks like he has been playing in the team for five years.
“A good player, with a good attitude, fit, smart and technically-gifted. We have no problems at fullback. I know people say ‘Ben White isn’t a fullback’.
“But Ben White can do a job there and he (did a great job) against Chelsea.”
ZINCHENKO TO START AGAINST PALACE?
With Kieran Tierney still on the sidelines and missing the pre-season trip to the United States, then it certainly increases the chances of Zinchanko starting against Crystal Palace.
With the new Premier League season only ten days away, this is where the Arsenal fans would start to worry because their main left-back is out of action.
But those issues and worries of last season are no more because Zinchenko is in the building and he is more than capable of doing a solid job on the left side of the defence.
It will be interesting if the Ukraine star does start, and impresses, then whether Arteta sticks with him in that role, even if Tierney returns to action.
That could be a real possibility heading into the new season, with Arteta’s side set to kick off proceedings alongside Crystal Palace.
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