Despite a player as key as Oleksandr Zinchenko leaving Manchester City in the summer of 2022, his team have remained incredibly successful.
Zinchenko was not replaced in the transfer market with a natural left-back as Sergio Gomez, who signed for the club in the same summer usually plays either in midfield or as a winger.
At the time, Manchester City seem hell-bent on signing Marc Cucurella to replace the Arsenal defender.
However, Cucurella ended up signing for Graham Potter’s Chelsea side.
In the same season, Pep Guardiola led City to winning a historic treble and in the following campaign, the club won a fourth consecutive Premier League title in a row — despite Zinchenko’s exit being perceived as a blow in 2022.
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Oleksandr Zinchenko pays Manchester City the ultimate compliment
The Ukrainian international, who was winning trophies in a Manchester City shirt has failed to do so at Arsenal — barring the FA Community Shield last year.
The 27-year-old will be determined to help Mikel Arteta’s side win a piece of silverware next season — with primary focus on the Premier League and the Champions League.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk technician would mainly have left City due to not being a regular starter but also to win trophies at the Emirates Stadium as a part of a side where he was one of the main men.
Zinchenko has admitted that as things stand, no team on the planet is superior to this Manchester City side.
The decorated defender said via HaytersTV: “I don’t think we need to copy someone like, let’s say City. Of course, they are probably, at the moment, the best team in the world because if you look at the stats and titles they have won in the last couple of years, it’s amazing.”
Zinchenko would be determined to see Arsenal beat Man City to Premier League during the Guardiola era
When Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City, judging by the current state of the Premier League, Arsenal would automatically become the favourites to win the title.
City will have to cope with the £378,846-a-week man’s departure while the Gunners, who are accustomed to Mikel Arteta’s demands will have the upper hand over them in the title race.
However, Zinchenko and the rest of the Arsenal players will be determined to trump Manchester City to a league title while Pep Guardiola is in charge.
Beating any Guardiola side to a title is a mammoth task and if Arteta’s side are able to do so when he is still working in England, their team will be regarded as one for the history books.
Considering how close Arsenal have come, it is certainly possible but Pep Guardiola is often the primary differentiating factor in title races.
