Zimpapers Logo

LONDON. — It was an afternoon that nearly saw Manchester City’s season fall apart, but an unlikely hero stepped up.

City were 1-0 down to Aston Villa at half-time on the final day of last season. Liverpool would go on to beat Wolves at Anfield so Pep Guardiola needed some inspiration or the English Premiership football title would fall into Jurgen Klopp’s hands.

During the break, Guardiola turned to his bench. Raheem Sterling was there, so too Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish. But it was Oleksandr Zinchenko who was picked, coming on for makeshift centre-back Fernandinho in a reshuffle of City’s defence.

The build-up and shape of the team needed to change and Zinchenko was the man to help. The Ukraine international went to left-back and dictated the play, making 13 carries in the second half and setting up Rodri for City’s equaliser to make it 2-2. City, who suddenly looked more fluid, went on to win the game — and the title.

Sterling and Gundogan would join Zinchenko off the bench and make more noticeable impacts in the final third, reducing the latter to unsung hero status. As that looks like it could be his last match in a City shirt, it may just be a fitting end for Zinchenko, who rarely stood in the Etihad Stadium limelight.

Arsenal are set to sign the Ukraine international – and given how smoothly the pursuit of Gabriel Jesus went — Zinchenko could well be granted his move to north London. Versatile, technically gifted and reliable are words associated with the 25-year-old at Manchester City, and here’s why.

Mikel Arteta has been looking at additions at left-back and central midfield in this summer transfer window. The Gunners wanted Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, who has experience in playing in both positions as well as centre half, but he has now agreed a deal to sign for Manchester United. Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans has also been looked at but that interest has cooled in recent weeks.

There is reason why the Arsenal manager needs support in that role. At left-back, Kieran Tierney has picked up long-term injuries in the last two seasons at crucial moments and while Nuno Tavares was signed as cover last summer, the young Portuguese full-back struggled in the big moments and ended up behind Cedric Soares and Granit Xhaka in the left-back pecking order come the end of the season.

In midfield, Xhaka is a mainstay in Arteta’s team but there is little competition for his specific role. Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga all compete for the same position at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, leaving Xhaka to a number 8 role. A midfield of Xhaka, Martin Odegaard and new £35m man Fabio Vieira would represent somewhat of a risk, given two have experience of being number 10s.

Zinchenko operates as a left-back for Manchester City but he plays exclusively in central midfield for his country and showed his pedigree in the position with an outstanding individual display in Ukraine’s recent World Cup play-off win over Scotland. — Sky Sports