Pundit hails Oleksandr Zinchenko influence for Arsenal against Lens

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Pundit Lucy Ward has praised the performance of Oleksandr Zinchenko in Arsenal’s loss against Lens.

Arsenal fell to a bitterly disappointing 2-1 defeat to French outfit Lens in a Champions League group stage match on Tuesday evening.

The Gunners’ performance was full of individual mistakes and missed opportunities. Many of Mikel Arteta’s usually reliable first team stars, such as Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard, failed to produce their best.

One player who has been singled out for some praise, though, is Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian left-back has been credited for his endeavour to force an opening for Arsenal.

Lucy Ward was impressed by what she saw from Zinchenko. The former Leeds United forward commented on the 26-year-old’s desire to impact the match during the first half.

Commentating for TNT Sports (03/10/2023, 20:45), Ward said, “Zinchenko and Rice are trying to grab the game by the scruff of its neck in that central area. Getting the ball up the pitch. Running with the ball, Zinchenko’s been very good.”

Mixed bag display for Zinchenko

As usual, Zinchenko played an inverted role for the Gunners against Lens. Although being nominally a full-back, the £32 million former Manchester City man constantly drifted infield to boost Arsenal’s ranks in the middle of the park.

Whilst his effort can’t be denied, not much of what Zinchenko tried against Lens came off successfully. As per WhoScored statistics, the 55-cap Ukraine international managed just the one key pass, only one interception, and failed to make any tackles.

Zinchenko, and the rest of his Arsenal teammates, will need to be far better at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday when they face reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. Mikel Arteta must find a way of working some of the kinks out of his team in the brief interim period before that match.

Zinchenko will be keen to impress against his former club. However, he must produce a mature performance, and balance his attacking instincts with his defensive responsibilities. If he doesn’t, then City have the quality to exploit any space he vacates.