Arsenal legend Paul Merson did not seem impressed with Oleksandr Zinchenko late on during the Gunners’ narrow Premier League win over Wolves on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Arsenal defender had a decent game overall at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners ran out 2-1 winners in the 3pm kickoff.
He provided a lovely assist for Martin Odegaard to score the Gunners’ second goal, and regularly made his way into midfield to help create overloads.
However, Zinchenko did make a mistake late on which led to Wolves halving the deficit and creating a nervy finish for the Gunners.
The Ukraine international was caught in possession by Nelson Semedo before Cunha punished Mikel Arteta’s with a fine finish in the 86th minute.
Merson, covering the game on Sky Sports, said: “Zinchenko dithers on the ball, gets robbed and it falls to Cunha and he bends it into the far corner.
“A great finish and totally out of nothing and game on…”
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Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko decision-making raises eyebrows
Luckily it didn’t cost Arsenal in the end, and it was one of the few bad plays Zinchenko made during an otherwise great display, but it’s not the first time his concentration and decision-making has been found wanting.
He made a similar mistake against Brentford last week, but in that instance he was able to keep the shot out with a goalline clearance.
It seems pretty established by now that Takehiro Tomiyasu is the go-to option for when Arsenal need a more defensive option, while Zinchenko is the better option for when the Gunners want more cohesion.
This could well be something that Mikel Arteta will consider at the end of the season: bringing in a left-back who can do both.