10 April 2023 , 08:07
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Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was filmed looking distraught on the bench during the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday and at one stage appeared to be in tears.
It was a thrilling encounter between the two teams, with Mikel Arteta's men racing into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 30 minutes before slowly but surely, Liverpool started to gain a foothold on the tie. Mohamed Salah started the comeback with a goal on the cusp of half-time before Roberto Firmino bagged a late equaliser to break Arsenal hearts.
Had the Gunners held their nerve, they would have been in a fantastic position when it comes to the title race. Instead, their advantage at the top was cut to just six points, as well as having played one game more than nearest challengers Manchester City.
The goal that snatched a draw from the jaws of victory saw Trent Alexander-Arnold nutmeg Zinchenko, who really should have done better before the England international lofted an inviting cross into the area for Firmino to head home.
According to talkSPORT, Zinchenko's tears stemmed from the fact that the Ukrainian international felt responsible for throwing the game away for Arsenal at such a crucial stage of the run-in.
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The former City ace came in for some serious criticism come full-time, as Jamie Carragher laid into Zinchenko for the way he failed to deal with Alexander-Arnold in the build-up to Firmino's goal.
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Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko appeared to be in tears after Liverpool equalised (Twitter@https://twitter.com/StoolFootball/status/1645126189634183170)"I can't get Zinchenko out of my head," Carragher claimed. "The league title's on the line, you've got to be more aggressive. That can't happen.
"There's got to be more intensity from Zinchenko. It's almost like he's training and doesn't want the ball to go through his legs."
His fellow Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane echoed a similar sentiment, as he added: "You think about the modern full-back and the obsession is how good they are going forward.
"I think they have lacked that real pride in defending. Zinchenko had to get down low. It’s all far too easy - especially if you’re going to win titles."
Zinchenko was withdrawn immediately after the goal and replaced by Scotland international Kieran Tierney, a player who many view as a superior defender to the Ukrainian but simply doesn't boast quite the same attacking output.
It remains to be seen whether Arteta will choose to hand Zinchenko another chance for the next league clash away at West Ham on Sunday afternoon or opt to give Tierney some minutes as the starting left-back.