Oleksandr Zinchenko makes Arsenal title claim and issues Mikel Arteta verdict

Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko has been speaking ahead of Arsenal’s return to Premier League action on Boxing Day, and he believes ‘everything is possible’ as he and his teammates chase a Premier League title.

The Gunners have been without competitive action for more than a month due to the World Cup break, but they get back to it on Monday night when they take on London rivals West Ham United with a chance to extend their lead at the top to eight points, at least until Manchester City play on December 28.

One of the many influential players in Arsenal’s fine start has been Zinchenko, who was signed for a fee of around £30million from Manchester City during the summer. The Ukrainian has played in midfield and at full-back for Arsenal, as he did for City, and he joined with the expectation that Arsenal would go from strength to strength.

“I’m not surprised because I’m here now, and I could smell from last season that Arsenal’s time was coming. With this kind of group, everything is possible,” he told Amazon Prime Video.

Zinchenko worked with Mikel Arteta at City, when the Spaniard was Pep Guardiola’s assistant, and it’s no surprise the full-back has a strong impression of his boss.

“It is a completely different role. Now we can see how he is and see how he works,” Zinchenko added. “The potential he has, I can’t even tell you his limits.” Speaking about similarities Arteta shares with Guardiola, he added: “I think the vision, they see football in a very similar way.”

In off-the-field matters, Zinchenko has spoken regularly about the heartbreaking events in his home country since Russia began its attempt to invade Ukraine in February of 2022, and he continues to raise awareness for the millions affected back home.

“It is impossible to describe,” he said when asked about the situation. “I don’t know how to tell you what people are feeling. Every family has lost someone from their circle, or their house, or their job. Most cities have sirens three or four times per day. It cannot carry on like this. We need to win against this Russian aggression. One country thinks they can do anything they want, this is not political, this is war.

“If you ask me how I feel about this situation, I am empty. My tears have already gone. I have no tears anymore. But of course, I know we are going to win. I know the whole world is already tired from this war, but we can never give up, because today is Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be your country.”