Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kai Havertz are, individually, fantastic players. But on the pitch at the same time they are kryptonite to each other.
Aston Villa was the only blot on the copy book in our title run-in, and ultimately it was those dropped points at home that were the difference between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Fans blamed Mikel Arteta for the defeat, and pointed to the “tactical error” of starting Oleksandr Zinchenko at left back and Kai Havertz in midfield.
Arsenal were on an 11 game unbeaten run in the Premier League before Villa. In just one of those games had Arteta selected Havertz in midfield and Zinchenko at left back – the first of the run against Crytal Palace.
Four of the 10 games we lost last season had Havertz playing midfield and Zincheko left back. That is 40% of games, more than double our loss ratio for the entire season (19%).
Considering Arteta is a man that loves his stats, he would be looking at that and realise that Havertz in midfield and Zinchenko in defence does not work.
But that is not to say either should be sold or are not good enough!
It is the combination that does not work. And for clarity, I am talking about when we play Havertz in the left hand side midfield position, not upfront. When played as a 9, I have no issue them starting together!
Zinchenko inverted
In 2022/23, Olexsander Zinchenko was a revelation playing that inverted full back role. The Ukrainian was a bit reason behind our first half of the season form.
This season it did not quite click. He looked exposed defensively and it felt like he was constantly out of position. This was not his fault.
Zinchenko was playing the role Arteta had asked him to. The drop in form was due to a personnel change rather than because Zinchenko was in poor form.
Missing Xhaka
Zinchenko was often covered when he dropped deep by Granit Xhaka.
Last season Xhaka was immense in that more advanced position – but what did not receive as much acclaim was his defensive work.
One look at Xhaka’s heat map from last season will make you realise he actually spent very little time playing centrally. He was fairly wide left and often found himself deeper and wide covering Zinchenko.
Exposed left hand side
Kai Havertz is more offensively minded than Xhaka. His natural inclination is not to notice that Zinchenko has gone centrally and to drop deep to cover him, but to play further forward and look for an attacking opportunity. This can leave that left hand side exposed.
This decision making might well be through instruction – that Arteta felt cover for Zinchenko was not required so instructed Havertz to remain higher up. The hope then would have been for Gabriel to cover out wide, with William Saliba and Ben White shifting inside.
But a smart centre forward would recognise this and sit on Gabriel, forcing him to stay central. And in turn that would leave the left hand side exposed as Gabriel Martinelli would be the only man out there.
In the past, Trent Alexander-Arnold has looked exposed at right back for Liverpool, and this is because of the way Jurgen Klopp lined up his midfield.
Liverpool were at their best when they played Jordan Henderson just inside of Trent. The former England-international would then do Trent’s defensive work at right back.
So what for the future?
Zinchenko still has a future at left back, but it has to be when Declan Rice (or another more defensive minded midfielder) is playing in that more advanced left hand position. Rice out left in that Xhaka role certainly made the left hand side of the pitch look more solid last season.
If Arteta wants to go with Rice as the sole defensive midfielder, and Kai Havertz ahead, we then need to go with the more defensive option of either Takehiro Tomiyasu or Jurrien Timber. That will mean Zinchenko on the bench.
Oddly, the most natural replacement for Xhaka in our squad is Zinchenko. I can certainly see him playing in that more advanced 8, with Declan Rice behind him and Kai Havertz ahead…
Final thoughts
Havertz and Zinchenko do not work. It leaves the left hand side exposed. If Zinchenko starts, we need someone more defensive minded ahead of him.
Have a good Thursday.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
I agree that zinchenko should be mmoved into a midfield role if he is to stay at the club and i would not play havertz in midfield. I disagree about the villa game costing us the title. My opinion is that city away was our downfall, where we showed city that we were scared of them by playing for a draw. If we had won that match it would have took 2 points off their total and added 2 to ours, but it would have been a massive statement.
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