Mikel Arteta needs to give forgotten £32m Arsenal star one more chance, it’s worth the risk

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Against Inter Milan on Wednesday evening, Arsenal definitely showed a real improvement in the second half – even if they weren’t able to find a goal.

It would seem that Mikel Arteta made a strong plea to his Arsenal players at half-time to move the ball more quickly, something that was obvious on the pitch.

In truth, Arsenal have struggled in possession of late, they haven’t been able to create their usual level of chances, and they haven’t enjoyed the luxury of set-piece goals hiding that fact.

Admittedly, Arsenal were undone by a questionable refereeing decision during their 1-0 defeat in Italy, but performances with the ball haven’t been good enough either.

And whilst a lot of that malaise has been put down to Martin Odegaard’s injury absence, perhaps there’s also another candidate to come in and make a difference.

Oleksandr Zinchenko deserves one last chance at Arsenal

Injured at the start of the campaign, Oleksandr Zinchenko has only played 178 minutes for Arsenal this season.

Zinchenko has been criticised relentlessly at Arsenal for his poor defending, but on the other hand, he’s always been celebrated for his ability with the ball.

READ MORE: How Arsenal feel about Oleksandr Zinchenko leaving the club in January

And right now, despite how defensively strong Arteta’s side can be, they’re lacking balance.

In truth, it seems like the Arsenal manager is considering whether to hand Zinchenko a bigger role again – he’s often now the first substitute introduced along with Ethan Nwaneri.

And perhaps Arteta should roll the dice by starting both away to Chelsea on Sunday – a must win game before the international break.

Ian Wright has called for Nwaneri to play more, and it’s hard to argue that Zinchenko’s rich ability on the ball wouldn’t be extremely welcome now too.

Gabriel Martinelli showed his frustration against Inter Milan

Along with a host of Arsenal players, Gabriel Martinelli is suffering a dip in form at the Emirates Stadium right now.

Martinelli was frustrated at the San Siro during Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat on Wednesday night – he was getting no reward from his constant deliveries into the box.

But Martinelli was even more annoyed with Leandro Trossard during one point of the first half, another Arsenal player who is failing to make the right decision with the ball.

A tough period for the Gunners, but perhaps turning to Zinchenko for one last hurrah is the right thing to do.