Tuesday evening’s visit of Shaktar Donetsk to the Emirates Stadium for a Champions League fixture was a big deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has a personal connection to the Ukrainian club, being Ukrainian himself, and having spent time in the Shaktar Donetsk youth academy earlier in his career.
Given the difficult time that Ukraine has endured in recent years, it is a miracle that Shakhtar Donetsk are even still playing matches at all, never mind at Champions League level. They will have felt like they were representing the entire country on Tuesday evening.
Arsenal were able to grind out a win in this fixture, but the Gunners’ performance was far from convincing.
Meanwhile, Zinchenko did not make it onto the pitch at all. Mikel Arteta’s decision to bring on Myles Lewis-Skelly ahead of him spoke volumes about the 27-year-old’s current status within the North London club.
Even so, Zinchenko still found the time to make a connection with the travelling Shakhtar Donetsk supporters.
Arsenal ace Oleksandr Zinchenko connects with Shakhtar Donetsk fans
After the final whistle, Zinchenko was spotted interacting with the away supporters.
As reported by The Daily Mail: “Oleksandr Zinchenko shared a heartwarming moment with Shakhtar Donetsk’s fans after Arsenal beat the Ukrainian side 1-0 at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
“After the final whistle, he headed over to the away end to greet supporters from his homeland and handed one lucky fan his shirt.”
Zinchenko was not the only famous Ukrainian face to watch on over this fixture at the Emirates Stadium. Andriy Schevchenko was also in attendance, as was Chelsea winger and Arteta transfer target Mykhailo Mudryk.
Arsenal left-back rotation
Zinchenko may well have been frustrated not to get a run out against Shakhtar Donetsk. The former Manchester City man has clearly slipped down the pecking order at Arsenal, and has also struggled to maintain his fitness.
Arteta has plenty of options to choose from when it comes to left-backs. However, Riccardo Calafiori picked up a knock in last night’s game.
If the Italian is sidelined for a significant spell, then that may open the door for Zinchenko to force his way back into the manager’s plans.
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