Zinchenko: This is why Jesus is special and incredible

FOOTBALL Zinchenko: This is why Jesus is special and incredible

Kiplagat Sang • 15:28 - 08.04.2023

The Ukrainian is full of praise for his Brazilian club teammate.

Arsenal fullback Oleksandr Zinchenko has explained why Gabriel Jesus is a special person in his life.

Jesus and the Ukrainian worked together at Manchester City before they switched allegiance to Arsenal.

Apart from being a special man to him, Zinchenko also discussed why he feels the Brazilian has an incredible character.

"He is a special person in my life," Zinchenko told the club’s website.

"He is an example of how hard you have to work every single day and have the right attitude. In the simple exercises we have, normally guys might use 50 percent of their focus, but he is like an animal.

"There are a lot of frustrating moments in football, such as when you don’t play much or you didn’t play well in the last game, but his reaction after those moments is incredible.

"When I was at City, I was like: ‘that’s the way you have to react to those moments,'  and he was always the best on the training pitch. It’s a pleasure to have those kinds of teammates."

Apart from his relationship with Jesus, Zinchenko talked about his current boss, Mikel Arteta, with whom they worked together at the Etihad too when the Spaniard was deputizing Pep Guardiola.

"I knew Mikel for a while when I was at City, and he knows me as well as a player and a person," the Ukrainian skipper continued.

"The impact he had - and still has - on me is a lot because I said many times that if I was going to leave City and stay in the Premier League, it would be for only one manager, which is him.

"The way he sees football, his vision, his character - he’s a winner, and that’s what I like the most about people. I had a couple of conversations before I joined, and he told me what he wanted to see from me, the club’s vision and I liked everything."

Zinchenko also talked about his performance against Leeds United. Although Arsenal claimed a 4-1 victory, the defender was not happy with his individual performance.

"I was happy with the three points, but not happy with the goal we conceded," he added.

"I didn’t play well at that moment, so that’s why I was so angry. Three points are always the priority, but for me as a defender, you want to get a clean sheet as well."

Meanwhile, Arsenal will be at Anfield for a crucial Premier League duel on Sunday.