22 February 2023 , 17:00
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Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has made a real impact on and off the pitch and in the dressing room since joining from Manchester City, and he has shown a natural charm in an interaction with a young supporter.
The Ukraine international completed a move over the summer worth up to £32m, joining his former City team-mate Gabriel Jesus in north London. The pair have been praised for bringing a winning mentality to the Premier League leaders, as has January arrival Jorginho.
Zinchenko scored his first goal for the club on Saturday, helping Mikel Arteta's team come from behind to beat Aston Villa and return to the top of the Premier League table. Away from the pitch, though, he recently made one young fan's day.
In a clip shared on YouTube, the youngster can be shown practicing kick-ups when the Gunners squad unexpectedly walk past. The fan gives the ball to Zinchenko, who dribbles in his direction before passing it back.
At this point, the kid nutmegs the left-back, with other players heard laughing in the background. As he embraces Zinchenko, he seems stunned to realise he has caught the entire episode on camera.
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It was a big weekend for the youngster. Not only did they get to nutmeg an Arsenal star, but the Gunners climbed back above Manchester City to regain their Premier League lead when Pep Guardiola's team dropped points at Nottingham Forest.
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Zinchenko was nutmegged by the young fan before the pair shared an embrace (YouTube/@TheArsenalWay)Arsenal's title challenge comes after a difficult end to the 2021-22 season, when the Gunners were denied Champions League qualification on the final day of the campaign. There are many reasons for the change this term, but goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has pointed specifically to the winning mentality of Zinchenko and other new additions.
"These are people which us young boys can tap into their minds," the England international said.. They have won major things and, when we have had a tough week where we lost, it could be quite easy for some of us young boys to feel nervous.
Oleksandr Zinchenko scored his first Arsenal goal at Villa Park (Jon Super/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“That’s probably what it was in the first 45 minutes maybe. We just got told to go back to basics, play our game, and that’s what happened.
“It’s good for them to get on the scoresheet, Alex needed to after the first goal. You see the passion which those two show and with only being at the club for a month and six months. It shows what group we’ve got.
“He (Zinchenko) brings a completely different dimension to our team, allows us to play in a way which we want to. He has been there and done it. He has got four out of five Premier Leagues, so he knows what it takes to win. He has been brilliant. You see the passion he has got and he’s only been here a couple of months. He is a huge part of our group.”