Oleksandr Zinchenko is a unique player in the Arsenal squad and is capable of inverting from left-back to play in the centre of the pitch.
Clarke has now suggested that Arteta should instead play Zinchenko in the midfield. Incredibly, despite ending up alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the pitch a lot, Zinchenko has started every match in Arsenal shirt at left-back.
Removing that extra defensive responsibility and playing him in Kai Havertz’s role as he does for Ukraine could get the best out of him.
Speaking on the Handbrake Off Podcast, pundit Adrian Clarke was discussing the Ukrainian international.
He said: “In those situations where Mikel [Arteta] doesn’t feel that [Oleksandr] Zinchenko is offering enough defensively, rather than taking him off, I’d rather put him into that left-sided number eight role and keep him on.
“He’s got that progressive pass in him, he’s an unlocker of defences.
“Rather than always take him off when he’s struggling defensively, could we then use him just in a further forward position as that left-sided number eight?
“The bottom line is he’s the one that’s more likely to play that killer pass in the final 15, 20 minutes of a game than anyone else.
“It’s just an idea to throw out there.”
Zinchenko has struggled to put a long run of games together for Arsenal due to injury problems and even on Tuesday he looked tired.
Loaning out Kieran Tierney has left Arsenal short of one option they could use if Arteta were to move Zinchenko into midfield.
However, Takehiro Tomiyasu is an able deputy while Jakub Kiwior can do a job there too.
Arteta isn’t short of options in any position right now, but getting the combination right is proving more difficult.
