Don’t you think a game like the one against Brighton needed Oleksander Zinchenko at left-back inverting to midfield from the onset?
Timber has been fantastic; he has brought some defensive stability to our left side. Despite his defensive prowess, Arsenal struggles with ball progression when he plays. Yes, the ex-Ajax star locked down Yakuba Minteh, just as he did with Leon Bailey the other weekend. And, while there is some concern that Zinchenko would struggle with those skilled wingers, he would have come through for the team in buildup play.
It was right not to deploy Zinchenko against Villa; in that game, the Arsenal technical bench could not have made a defensive gamble.
However, a game like Brighton was similar to the one against Wolves in that you could have taken a gamble using him at left back. Despite the fact that he faded against the Wolves, the Ukrainian started strong. Given his desire to remain relevant this season, he may have also given his all on Saturday afternoon.
Timber’s role as an inverted fullback hasn’t clicked yet; he did not significantly contribute to our ball movement against Brighton. When he inverted, he at times made himself unavailable to receive the ball.
Whatever else Zinchenko is, when he plays that role, he makes himself accessible to receive the ball and assists the team when in possession with his excellent passing ability, creating a threat for the opposition.
Many would argue against my notion that Zinchenko should have started against Brighton. And, while Zinchenko is certainly not a starter in every game (as he was last week), he would have been handy against Brighton.
Jack Anderson
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