Oleksandr Zinchenko continues to split opinions, thus Arsenal has been told to exercise any recall clause they may have over Kieran Tierney’s loan move to Real Sociedad. Despite missing the last two games, which were losses, the 27-year-old is still a factor in Mikel Arteta’s calculations as he tries to figure out why the team has been struggling lately.
The Gunners have only triumphed in one of their previous seven games across all competitions, which is mostly attributable to poor finishing, but Arteta’s team’s overall composition has also come under intense scrutiny. Declan Rice has mostly been responsible for covering in the middle of the pitch due to the absence of Thomas Partey in midfield.
Zinchenko has been moving infield when Arsenal has the ball, just like he did the previous season, and he has been caught off guard going in the other direction. Even if Mohamed Salah has frequently made fun of more skilled one-on-one defenders than Zinchenko, the way the Ukrainian was taken advantage of in the 1-1 draw at Anfield is indicative of his difficulties in recent weeks.
There have been suggestions that Arteta’s offensive issues should be addressed by the team as a whole rather than just the individual filling in as a centre striker. Using a more conventional attacking full-back would be one of these choices.
Even though Arteta has already drastically altered his defense in recent years, Tierney is a player who lost favor rapidly. Now that the Scottish international has recovered from his injury in Spain and is winning five straight games while only allowing two goals to be conceded by his club, appeals have been made for Arsenal to consider bringing him back.
“From what I’ve seen recently, I think they should recall players who have been on loan, like Tierney for example, the left-back, because Zinchenko looks a little bit tired as well,” Emmanuel Petit said to DAZN Bet.
“The fact that Mikel Arteta doesn’t have a lot of options to change his 1st 11 for me, this is one of the biggest problems for him.”Take Manchester City, for instance. They are still incredibly difficult to beat and can win games even when De Bruyne and other key players aren’t playing.
“It depends on what they do in the transfer market, but I’m very sure Arsenal is still in the running. Without a doubt, they must bring in more players. a center defender, midfielder, and striker.
“However, based on my recent observations, I believe they ought to call up players who have been out on loan, such as left-back Tierney, as Zinchenko also appears a little worn out. However, I believe that the team’s spine is crucial, as we witnessed against West Ham.”
“He [Tierney] needed to play as well; you need to get minutes as a young player,” he continued.
His wish to leave the club, try somewhere else, and receive the opportunity to play is understandable, in my opinion. However, it would be beneficial, in my opinion, if they could recall him during the January window.
“I admire this athlete and this player’s approach. We can all agree, I believe, that Zinchenko is not the world’s best defender.
He’s excellent at building the game from behind the scenes and at getting the ball to his feet.
“I have no issue with his technique or motions; I like them too. However, he plays a fairly mediocre defense, with Tierney being slightly more visible and having greater strength and agility.
Conclusion
As a result, rotation in the squad will be necessary for Arsenal’s upcoming games as well as for the Champions League’s return in February. Some players appear quite worn out over the Christmas season, so they need to be rotated. If Arsenal can bring back Tierney while assuring him that he will have time to play for the squad, that would be beneficial.”