AN INCREDIBLE dressing-room rant from Oleksandr Zinchenko that helped fire Manchester City to last season’s title has resurfaced ahead of Arsenal’s clash with the champions.
The Ukrainian defender, 26, left the Etihad last summer to join Mikel Arteta’s side in a £32million deal.
Zinchenko spent six years at City following his £1.7m switch from Ufa, racking up 128 appearances.
He won four Premier League titles in that time, including in the last two seasons, as well as the FA Cup and four League Cups.
The ace also played in the 2021 Champions League final as City lost to Chelsea.
Now he is riding high with top of the table Arsenal, although that could all change this evening.
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The Gunners face City at the Emirates three points clear at the summit, however, a defeat would see the holders overtake them via goal difference.
But if there are any nerves within the Arsenal camp then you can be sure that the left-back will be the one to get them fired up, judging by this latest clip of him in action.
The footage was shot last season while he was still at City inside their dressing-room ahead of the crunch May 8 showdown with Newcastle.
Pep Guardiola’s men had just been dumped out of the Champions League days before in the semi-final by Real Madrid and were neck-and-neck with Liverpool in the title fight going into the last fortnight of the campaign.
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But as a pre-match huddle formed, it was Zinchenko that stood centre stage as he aggressively addressed his team-mates and jabbed his finger at them while delivering an inspirational expletive-lidden motivational talk.
He blasted: “Forget what happened in the past. This is gone, over. Forget!
“Just look at each other, give everything and die on the pitch. Everyone knows what they have to do on the pitch.
“We f***ing fight for something massive and incredible. We need to be ready to become legends. All of you. We go there and we f***ing die there.”
Zinchenko’s rant certainly did the trick as City thumped Newcastle 5-0 and were crowned champions two weeks later.
Now Gooners will be hoping he can inspire their troops this evening against his old club in the mega showdown.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
