Oleksandr Zinchenko started his journey with Arsenal in 2022, when he left Manchester City to join the Gunners. The journey with Arsenal has not been a very smooth ride. During the match against Nottingham Forest, things got a bit heated between Zinchenko and right-back Ben White.
During the press conference, when asked about the clash between the players, Arteta tried to inflict some humor on the situation, which bounced back and made things unpleasant.
Mikel Arteta makes awkward wife-sharing joke on White and Zinchenko feud
Mikel Arteta said that Zinchenko and Ben White are on such good terms that they are best friends and have lived in the same house for the last three days, sharing wives and everything.
He said, “They’ve been in the same house for the last three days sharing wives and everything.
“That’s fine. They’re living together now they are best mates.”
Yep, that’s what the Arsenal manager said, making things uncomfortable in the press conference.
He further went on to say that he loved the passion displayed by the players and you only argue with someone when you care about them.
Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko feud explained
Arsenal was playing against Nottingham Forest on January 31st in the Premier League. Arsenal was leading the game until they conceded a goal in the 89th minute, giving the Forest players a huge boost to score another and go for the draw, which creates a lot of chaos in the Gunners defense.
To solve the problem, Arteta decided to sub off Zinchenko in the deep stages of extra time to strengthen the defense by bringing on Jakub Kiwior. That move had triggered Zinchenko, as he had a verbal exchange with the manager on the sidelines.
Somehow Arsenal survived the last wave from the Nottingham players and won the match, but after the full-time whistle, Zinchenko was seen pointing fingers at Ben White, which was not appreciated by the right back and resulted in a heated exchange of words.
In the post-match presentation, when asked about the incident, Arteta said that they’re pushing each other and showing frustration after conceding, and he had to “encourage and promote” it in “the right and respectful way.”
Arsenal will play against table-toppers Liverpool on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, and we hope they can beat them like last season. The Gunners are currently five points behind Liverpool and hope they can close the gap this Sunday.
Do you think Arsenal will have an advantage playing at home against an informed Liverpool? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
