Oleksandr Zinchenko’s chance the product of hard work

Pep Guardiola’s year will rightly be defined by luscious attacking football but his improvisation at left back should not be far behind.

There is more than a touch of genius in converting Fabian Delph into a defender, a decision made at the end of August. Remarkably, Guardiola even claims that idea took him too long to arrive at.

Delph has performed marvellously in Benjamin Mendy’s absence but, with him out with a knee injury, Manchester City required another solution here.

Oleksandr Zinchenko had more touches than any player on the pitch during the first half

Not Danilo, the obvious deputy, but Oleksandr Zinchenko. And his inclusion, starting a Premier League game for the first time, was no impulse decision. Behind the scenes, Guardiola has been moulding the 21-year-old into the role all season.

Here is a slight winger, one who struggled for games and form at PSV Eindhoven last season. One, some felt, who would serve no purpose under Guardiola.

He is apparently a shy character and slowly becoming part of the group inside City’s dressing room after fighting his way into the manager’s thinking. 

Yes, he’s still an understudy, and positionally he was disappointing as Jacob Murphy scored midway through the second half and occasionally struggled thereafter, positives outweighed negatives. He can be forgiven for switching off momentarily given what went before.

Zinchenko was given the chance to impress at left back ahead of Brazil international Danilo

Zinchenko was given the chance to impress at left back ahead of Brazil international Danilo

The 19-year-old Ukrainian is the first one in and last one out at Manchester City's training base 

The 19-year-old Ukrainian is the first one in and last one out at Manchester City’s training base 

More touches (84) than anyone else in the first half, plenty of neat interplay (97 per cent pass completion), a courageous header away when Newcastle broke early and a superb recovery tackle with Murphy racing clear.

Zinchenko is first one in and last one out at City’s training base, putting the extra hours in alone inside the gym to bulk up in readiness for potential chances.

Guardiola has noticed that and will have jotted down the way he held his position as Newcastle threatened on the counter soon after the mistake. Perhaps clear evidence of quick learning will impress his manager the most.

 



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