Zinchenko’s Showing Against Salah May Lead to Difficult Arsenal Choices
In their final pre-season friendly of their U.S. tour, Arsenal faced a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool, raising significant questions for Mikel Arteta regarding Oleksandr Zinchenko’s performance.
Mohamed Salah took just 12 minutes to capitalize on Zinchenko’s defensive weaknesses, sprinting towards goal and scoring to give Liverpool an early advantage.
Zinchenko appeared slow to react to Harvey Elliot’s pass to Liverpool’s No.11 and arguably could have done more to prevent the goal. Throughout the match, Salah persistently troubled Zinchenko, creating major issues for Arsenal on their right flank.
To Zinchenko’s credit, he did contribute with several effective forward passes and transitioned into midfield as he often does. However, his defensive vulnerabilities were evident against Liverpool in Philadelphia, underscoring why Edu invested up to £42 million in Riccardo Calafiori.
Calafiori, a 22-year-old versatile defender from Bologna, joined Arsenal for an initial fee of around £33.7 million, with potential add-ons raising the total. Signed on a five-year contract, he joined the team in the U.S. earlier this week.
Although not featured in the Liverpool friendly, Calafiori observed from the stands at Lincoln Financial Field. Arteta reportedly views Calafiori as a solution to Arsenal’s left-back issues, valuing his defensive solidity on that side.
This development suggests that Calafiori might soon challenge Zinchenko for the left-back position and could surpass the Ukrainian in the hierarchy once he is match-fit. Myles Lewis-Skelly replaced Zinchenko in the 69th minute, and despite Zinchenko containing Salah better in the second half, many Arsenal fans may advocate for Calafiori to start in their Premier League opener against Wolves on August 17.
Interestingly, Pep Guardiola, Zinchenko’s former manager, spoke highly of him last year. “Everyone here loved him; he was significant for our club,” Guardiola told City’s official website.
Guardiola recounted Zinchenko’s determination to fight for his place despite competition. “In the early years, we considered moving him because playing time seemed limited, but he insisted on staying and fighting for his spot. He trained diligently, never complained, and maintained a positive attitude. When injuries gave him an opportunity, he seized it with determination, showing his quality and mindset. Mikel [Arteta] knew him well from their time together and trusted him to improve our build-up play. I’m pleased things are going well for him at Arsenal.”
Despite Guardiola’s commendation, City’s decision to sell Zinchenko, highlighted by Salah’s goal, points to his defensive shortcomings. Arteta now faces a crucial decision in the upcoming weeks, though Edu might have already found the ideal replacement in Calafiori.
