“You need to drop him to the bench even if he is scoring in every match because…..”- Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry has told Mikel Arteta to drop his best attacking star player to the bench against Tottenham on Sunday- Not Rice, Not Odegard and not Jesus
Darren Bent has given his verdict on Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker and talkSPORT pundit has not been impressed with Zinchenko
So, what has Darren Bent said about Arsenal and Ukraine international star Oleksandr Zinchenko? Let’s take a look.
Oleksandr Zinchenko labelled ‘a liability’
Well, Darren Bent has been speaking about Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, and he is not impressed at all.
The Arsenal fan thinks that Zinchenko, who can also operate as a midfielder, is “a liability”.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker and talkSPORT pundit believes that Jurrien Timber would have been the first-choice left-back at Arsenal had he not been injured.
Timber joined Arsenal from Ajax in the summer of 2023. The Netherlands international can play as a centre-back or as a full-back.
The 22-year-old suffered a long-term knee injury in Arsenal’s opening Premier League game of the season against Nottingham Forest. The youngster is unlikely to play again this season.
Bent said about Zinchenko on talkSPORT (6:15 pm, December 29, 2023): “I think Timber would have played. I think he would have been the first choice, Timber. Zinchenko is a liability.”
My View: Oleksandr Zinchenko needs competition
What I am going to say now is going to be controversial, especially for Arsenal fans. I do not think that Oleksandr Zinchenko was ever ‘all that’.
Yes, Zinchenko can move into midfield from left-back and is very good in that role, but if he were world class or potentially could become so, then Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola would not have sold him.
I am not saying that Zinchenko is not a good player. He certainly is a Premier League-level footballer, but he is not among the best defenders or the best midfielders in the Premier League. Ian Wright thinks that Arsenal need to replace him.
I believe that the £150,000-a-week (Spotrac) left-back needs competition. Perhaps next season when Timber is fully fit, we will see less of the 27-year-old Ukraine international.
Meanwhile, Paul Merson has praised Arsenal midfielder Kai Havertz for his recent performances.
The former Arsenal star and Sky Sports pundit has noted how well Havertz has done for the Gunners during the festive period
Merson told SportsKeeda: “Kai Havertz has been good in recent weeks after a tough start to his Arsenal career. I was always a big fan of him and knew he’d come good, so it’s been nice to see him emerge as a key player for the club during the festive period.”
