The latest Arsenal news, with the Gunners one point ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League table, although Pep Guardiola still has a game in hand.
Pundit Richard Keys has warned that Mikel Arteta’s choice to deploy Oleksandr Zinchenko in an inverted role may cost them the Premier League championship fight against Manchester City.
Arsenal are presently one point clear of Pep Guardiola’s team at the top of the league, but may be overtaken when Man City face Fulham in Saturday’s early kick-off. Arsenal’s next game is against Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford.
City’s game in hand puts them in prime position to end the season in first place. Arsenal, on the other hand, is determined to capitalise if they make a mistake in any of their last three games.
Declan Rice has played an important role for Mikel Arteta this season. However, Keys has noted how a system change, notably in the 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in April, did not bring out the best in the summer signing.
“Rice is a Rolls Royce. I said as much earlier in the season when I blasted him for being Declan Nice,” Keys wrote in his latest blog . “He was tippy-tappying about in midfield, playing second fiddle to Zinchenko, playing sideways and backwards.
“That’s not his game. I know it’s what he was being asked to do, but it was frustrating to see such a talent being wasted.
“Arsenal have looked so much better when they’ve played with Jorghino or – freeing Rice to get involved all over the pitch.
“Thank goodness Arteta’s obsession with Zinchenko, in that pointless inverted role, seems over. If they don’t win the title I wonder if he’ll berate himself for playing the wrong team v Villa? I said on the Monday after that defeat he’d got it wrong so I’m not trying to be clever now.
“Playing Zinchenko meant anchoring Rice and also giving [Kai] Havertz a different role. It didn’t work. It doesn’t work. Havertz is an 8 1/2 – 9. On that subject – do Arsenal really need a proper 9? They’re the league’s top goal scorers – so why?”
Zinchenko has not started a Premier League game since the defeat against Villa, with Takehiro Tomiyasu preferred in the left-back role. Since the 2-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have won all five games, keeping three clean sheets and scoring 13 times.
