Zinchenko proved yesterday that he is still a crucial part of Arsenal’s squad

With the squad number change and Zinchenko taking the No. 17 jersey and losing the No. 35 jersey, Oleksandr Zinchenko is undoubtedly remaining at Arsenal, and Gooners should not be surprised if he plays far more frequently than they anticipate.

There is a belief that with Jurrien Timber’s return and Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival, Zinchenko’s services will no longer be required. Of course, with the two defenders (Timber and Calafiori), Zinchenko is not going to play every week, but he will play an important role when Arsenal faces teams that play deep. When we need to break down these teams, the Ukrainian international is crucial, breaking down opposition with line-breaking passes into our wingers or 8s in the half space, and as he showed last night, he can also score goals from outside the box.

Remember where Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal vision stands: reserve players are just as vital as starting 11, and the team requires individuals for any situation. Other than starters, Arteta needs game changers, and Zinchenko could be one of them. With Tomiyasu still to be back from injury and Jakub Kiwior expected to leave for a Serie A club, keeping Zinchenko makes sense.

The former Manchester City star may no longer be a crucial member of Arsenal’s starting lineup, but he will still be beneficial in certain scenarios, especially with the fact that if we want to challenge for every trophy next season we are going to have a lot of games to play, and Arteta will have to be brave with his rotations.