Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, who regularly appears on Sky Sports, says Mikel Arteta has a truly under-appreciated star in his ranks.
Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven
The Gunners' opening Champions League clash at home to PSV Eindhoven begins their European journey after a fair few years outside the continent's most prestigious competition.
Arsenal hadn't competed for the honour since 2017, when they last qualified, but have now returned as they aim to battle on multiple fronts.
It's been a solid start to the domestic campaign overall, too, where they have tasted victory in four out of their opening five Premier League matches.
Wins over Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Man United and Everton showcased a different side to Arteta's squad; their ability to grind out results despite not playing at their very best.
This goes especially after their latest league win over the Toffees at Goodison Park on Sunday, with Arsenal's manager hailing their assured display.
“Six years without a win here is a long time, so we had to learn some lessons, we had to be better." said Arteta.
"I am delighted for the win but especially the way we won it, the way we played, how dominant we were, the presence that we showed on the pitch. We fully deserved to win the game.
“I think we had many other openings to put the ball in the last line and to put somebody in the box and finalise.
Credit to Everton, they defended the box extremely well, and they had some big, big blocks when we opened them up. It’s great to have other ways to score goals, it gives you different resources and be more unpredictable."
Arsenal player ratings
The Gunners' squad boasts a few standout stars, like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard to name a couple.
However, Sky pundit Campbell believes there is one player who has quite simply deserved more credit this season.
The man in question is Oleksandr Zinchenko, who he says has formed a stellar understanding with Rice and "nobody talks about" it.
“Do you know what nobody talks about," said Campbell on the Highbury Squad YouTube channel.
"The connection him and Declan Rice are having in the middle of the park. Rice seems to be everywhere, but Zinchenko is the glue that just knits everything together with Rice and Odegaard in there.
"This guy is the key to that. Is he a better defender than Kieran Tierney? No, he’s not, but he gives us so much more than being a defender."
How good is Oleksandr Zinchenko?
The Ukraine international signed from Man City in the summer of 2022 and has gone to contribute effectively, with Arteta hailing his true ability last year.
"First of all, his mentality. He’s used to winning – winning is the only thing and winning in the right way," said Arteta.
"He’s a perfectionist and a really demanding boy.
"I know him so well, and after that he brings qualities that we didn’t have in the squad. He gives us a different option to play within the role in different spaces, and I’m really happy to have him."
