Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has hailed the impact of Oleksandr Zinchenko following his Manchester City exit.
Saka and Zinchenko had to go head-to-head on Sunday evening as England hosted Ukraine at Wembley.
The pair will be used to facing each other in training and maybe even in Arsenal v Manchester City games in years gone by.
Today’s meeting will have felt a little different though as the pair have been vital to Arsenal’s Premier League title bid.
The attention will soon turn back to the race for top spot, with Zinchenko no doubt keen to beat former club Manchester City to the title.
Bukayo Saka hails Arsenal teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko
You have to wonder if City regret selling both Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal last summer.
Maybe the time had come for them to leave, but selling both to the Gunners could really backfire now.
Not only have Zinchenko and Jesus added real quality to the Arsenal squad, but their mentality has made a huge impact.
These are two players very much used to winning trophies at City, and they have joined a squad with young players prominent across the pitch.
That additional know-how when it comes to winning trophies is vital for Arsenal and the pair have really helped change the mentality in North London.
Zinchenko has now received major praise from winger Saka, who has been blown away by the Ukrainian this season.
Saka has told the Daily Mail that he feels Zinchenko has not only ‘brought quality’ but also real leadership.
Saka feels Zinchenko is an ‘outstanding player’ with top leadership abilities, helping Arsenal both on and off the pitch.
The Arsenal winger added that Zinchenko has real ‘fire’ about him and has ultimately been an exceptional addition to the Arsenal squad.
“He’s brought quality, he’s brought so much,” said Saka. “You can see how he plays and how he controls game. He’s an outstanding player. He’s not only a quality player, he has outstanding leadership qualities. He’s helping us on both fronts.”
“‘He’s got a bit of fire about him and he uses it in ways that help him. On the pitch he uses it to get him going and to win the duels. He also has that other side to him, the balance in his head he needs to play well,” he added.
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