One surprise Arsenal star spotted giving ‘instructions’ to Oleksandr Zinchenko v Porto

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Journalist Sam Dean spotted one unexpected Arsenal star giving advice to Oleksandr Zinchenko during the Gunners’ clash with Porto.

Fabio Vieira was spotted giving instructions to Oleksandr Zinchenko whilst Arsenal battled with Porto on Tuesday night.

Vieira has never come across as the most expressive or forthright player in his time at the Emirates Stadium so far. The attacking midfielder is yet to nail down a regular starting berth under Mikel Arteta, or show that he can consistently shine at Premier League level.

Therefore, it may well surprise some Arsenal fans that he was seen telling Zinchenko what to do, despite the Ukrainian defender being vastly more experienced than him.

However, it ought to be remembered that Vieira used to play for Porto, before making the switch to north London. Arteta has already revealed that he leaned on Vieira in the build-up to this round of 16 tie to glean some insider information of the Portuguese outfit. The 23-year-old was uniquely well-placed to give advice to the likes of Zinchenko in this fixture then, despite the fact he did not make it onto the pitch himself.

Sam Dean spotted the interaction. Reporting on X, he said, “something I did not expect to see: Fabio Vieira giving Zinchenko some very intensive and detailed instructions during the break in extra time.”

Fabio Vieira shows signs of progress as he helps guide Arsenal to Porto triumph

Whatever advice he gave to the left-back did not seem to help him a great deal. After replacing the impressive Jakub Kiwior half-way through extra-time, Zinchenko struggled to positively impact the match, and gave the ball away on a couple of occasions.

Certainly, this was a game in which Kiwior gave his cause to become the recognised first-choice Arsenal starting left-back another mighty boost. 

As for Vieira, it is a positive development to see him taking responsibility in this manner and having the confidence to perform such a role within the squad. Arteta will be looking for more of this from the Portuguese ace in the remaining weeks of the season.

Vieira really needs to show what he can offer to Arsenal in the last few months of this campaign. Failure to do so could leave his future at the club in doubt. There is no doubting his raw talent, but he must now prove that he has the strength of character, mentality, and consistency to match his ability.