Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes the absence of Granit Xhaka has adversely affected Oleksandr Zinchenko’s form.

The Ukrainian international has had a poor start to the season and, after being substituted at halftime in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea, Wright says Zinchenko is simply not able to perform as well in the inverted fullback role without his former teammate:

“Zinchenko without Xhaka and what Xhaka done for us, it’s not the same role. He doesn’t seem to be able to do it without the way Xhaka was playing and giving him that license.”

It certainly doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that Zinchenko has struggled since Xhaka’s departure from the Emirates.

Xhaka has not been replaced

The Swiss international provided balance as the advanced ‘8’ on the left-hand side of the pitch. By pushing further forward, it allowed Zinchenko to take up positions more centrally.

Conversely, if the Ukrainian was caught up the pitch, Xhaka could use his experience to slot back in at left-back, which is a role he has played for the Gunners on multiple occasions.

Following the midfielder’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen, though, the likes of Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira, and even Declan Rice haven’t been able to provide the same sort of cover for Zinchenko when he vacates his position.

Will Zinchenko keep his place in Arsenal’s starting lineup?

Considering the 26-year-old’s recent performances, there is an argument for benching him, especially in the bigger games when he can be exposed. As we saw against Chelsea, when he is tasked with going one-on-one with an opposing winger, he is not at his best.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is better defensively, and he has shown that he can do a capable job as an inverted fullback. It could be the case that we’ll see more rotation between the Japanese international and Zinchenko this season.

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