Mikel Arteta has what Pep Guardiola can’t offer.
On the morning before Manchester City’s important match against West Ham in the penultimate week of last season, Oleksandr Zinchenko was awakened by his team-mates. The night before, Europe had chosen Ukraine as the winner of the Eurovision singing contest and City’s players wanted to share the good news with the left-back.
Like most of last season after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it was an emotional moment for the 25-year-old.
But it is also special for the players to show their love and support for their much-loved team-mates who have been hit hard by the war in Ukraine.
In the early days of the Russian invasion, Zinchenko was barred from returning home to help defend his country. Meanwhile friends and family convinced him that he could make more of an impact by staying in Britain and drawing attention to the plight of the Ukrainian people.
As the most famous Ukrainian in the Premier League aka the most highlighted competition, Zinchenko has a platform to speak emotionally and authoritatively about the suffering in Ukraine.
Away fans across England applauded him warmly and photos of his tearful embrace with compatriot Vitaliy Mykolenko ahead of City versus Everton were seen around the world.
However, it has been a difficult six months and the left-back is often heartbroken at the thought of what his many friends and family have gone through.
The player has donated significant money to the war effort, spoken to soldiers, and volunteered at a Ukrainian community group in Manchester that sends back essential supplies to those whose daily lives have become difficult.
Football has been a welcome diversion for Zinchenko, with time spent on the training ground and on matchdays helping to clear his head.
Pep Guardiola, the club and team-mates have offered their support to Zinchenko.
“At some point, especially at the start, I didn’t think much about football because it was impossible to live with what was happening in my country,” said Zinchenko after the dramatic title win on the final day.
“But with all the support I’ve had during this period, we can do our best. It means everything to me,” said the 52 owner caps in the Ukrainian national team.
“Honestly, I want to die for these people, for all this support, because of what people have given me and what they have done for during the toughest period of my life. I really appreciate it and I will never forget this. Never in my life,” he concluded.
The invasion has focused on a sense of community within the City camp, but there is nothing new in the club’s tribute to Zinchenko.
Signed from Russian side FC Ufa for just £1.7m in 2016, Zinchenko is determined to make his mark at the Etihad Stadium.
For example, after an away win at Huddersfield in 2017 when he was an unused substitute, Zinchenko returned to the training ground to train alone in the team’s gym that same evening.
Such commitments have not gone unnoticed by Guardiola or his coaches, including current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Finally the opportunity came, but as a left-back rather than an attacking midfielder.
Even when City considered releasing him to sign a specialist full-back, Zinchenko never doubted himself by refusing to move to Wolves and Napoli to fight for his place.
It was an extraordinary decision and Zinchenko has been instrumental in helping Guardiola’s side to four Premier League titles in the last five years, not least on the final day of last season when he featured prominently in helping overturn a two-goal deficit to Aston Villa dramatically.
But, after five years, mainly at left-back, Zinchenko has earned the opportunity to play in his preferred position.
More than three-quarters of his 128 appearances for City have come at left-back, but he is now backing himself to play at a top-flight club as an attacking midfielder after joining Arsenal for £30m.
Guardiola believes it was his best role, but he would never have played Zinchenko in the middle before Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden or Jack Grealish. Too difficult.
“As an attacking midfielder, that’s his position,” Pep said in April.
“When we signed Oleks he was a No.10 – Phil Foden’s position, creative – but the need we had … we didn’t have a left-back for years.”
“Fabian Delph adapted very well in that position and also Oleks. It happened because he was great, he knew exactly what it meant. He adapted and said: ‘OK, what does the team need? I will do it’.”
“He is a reliable player. Sometimes when he plays less or doesn’t perform like he used to, it’s because he’s human. What happened in his country, we cannot rule it out.”
“But I know Oleks. The way he plays is not necessary for us to know who he is.”
City will sign specialist left-back this summer, Marc Cucurella from Brighton. While Joao Cancelo remained a very effective choice, which made City finally decided to release Zinchenko.
This transfer deal also makes sense for the player. His performances in the World Cup Qualifiers for Ukraine showed once again that he has the talent and maturity needed to play higher on the pitch.
Like team-mate Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko is enjoying his time working with Arsenal boss Arteta at City. So he shouldn’t have much trouble adapting to his new environment in North London, given that Guardiola’s former right-hand man is using a similar system at the Emirates.
This is the right move at the right time for Zinchenko. He will be sorely missed at City, both on and off the pitch. But Arteta was able to offer him something that Guardiola never really could: the chance to play regularly in midfield.
