Oleksandr Zinchenko has said defending against Manchester City great Riyad Mahrez was a huge ask.
Speaking on FIVE’s official YouTube channel, the Arsenal technician was quizzed about whether he would rather come up against the £60 million (Sky Sports) man or Bukayo Saka.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has explained in what situation would he rather not come up against Riyad Mahrez.
Oleksandr Zinchenko says Riyad Mahrez was ‘too sharp’ to defend against
The Algerian legend’s absence is still felt at the Etihad Stadium, with John Stones admitting that it was ‘sad’ after he left the club to join Al-Ahli.
The treble-winner has gone down as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever wingers and one of the finest dribblers to have graced English shores.
Oleksandr Zinchenko gave his insight on which situations he would rather defend against Riyad Mahrez and Bukayo Saka.
“It depends [on] what’s the space. If you want me to go full pitch, Mahrez just because I’m quicker than him! If it’s shorter, Bukayo because Mahrez is too sharp so that’s just a good question”, he explained.
Riyad Mahrez was simply unplayable in his prime
Whether it be at Leicester City or at Manchester City, when Riyad Mahrez was at its best, he would leave defenders for dead and one would imagine that he could have done the same to Oleksandr Zinchenko in training.
While Bukayo Saka is an exceptional winger, he has a fair way to go to match the five-time Premier League winner as a dribbler in one-versus-one situations.
Mahrez’s two-footedness, which often goes under the radar, quick feet and technical excellence made him impossible to stop for defenders over the years.
To add to that, the Al-Ahli talisman had a wand of a left foot and letting him cut inside seemed like a guaranteed strike, much like it was the case with Arjen Robben.
