…It Was In A Gesture Suggested By Gunners Skipper Martin Odegaard
Oleksandr Zinchenko wore the captain’s armband for Arsenal at Leicester City on Saturday as a mark of respect on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine. Arsenal won the game by 1 – 0 to open a five-point lead at the top of the table, thus transferring the pressure to Manchester City.
The decision to give the defender the armband came by the way of a suggestion from regular skipper Martin Odegaard, who handed over the captaincy for the clash at the King Power Stadium. A year ago, Zinchenko then of Manchester City, could be seen in tears on the substitutes bench as City’s opponents Everton and the Goodison Park fans showed their support for Ukraine.
Zinchenko also shared a poignant moment pre-match with fellow Ukrainian Vitaliy Mykolenko, with the pair embracing with a hug before kick-off. The 26-year-old has been one the most vocal opponents to the Russian invasion of his homeland, and has spoken out on his country’s terrifying situation. ‘Every Ukrainian wants one thing – to stop this war.’ Zinchenko said last summer.
‘I spoke to people from different countries, all over the world and I spoke to some Ukrainian kids who just don’t understand what’s happening back in Ukraine. They only want the war to stop. They have one dream to stop the war.’ Zinchenko has 52 caps for Ukraine, scoring eight goals and became the country’s youngest ever skipper when he wore the armband against France in March 2021.
He moved to the Gunners last summer in a £30million deal and has played a key role in Mikel Arteta’s side’s rise to the top of the Premier League table.
