Some of his own team-mates scoffed when he said the Gunners could win the league but the Ukrainian has been proven right about their potential.

Oleksandr Zinchenko knows exactly what it takes to win the Premier League.

So, when he arrived at Arsenal from Manchester City last summer,it didnt take him long to realise that Mikel Arteta had put together a squad that could mount a serious title charge.

I realised we have everything to achieve big things, he said. I started to speak in the dressing room, Guys, forget top three or whatever, we need to think about the title.

Some of them were laughing, but no one is laughing now.

Zinchenko has been a revelation at Arsenal.

While the immediate impact of Gabriel Jesus may have captured most of the headlines earlier in the season, Zinchenkos influence is now beginning to become just as clear.

He was magnificent in the north London derby win at Spurs and then put in an equally impressive, if not better,display in the dramatic success against Manchester United on Sunday.

Goalscorers Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah understandably received most of the post-match plaudits during the television coverage, but it was Zinchenko whom Arsenal fans voted as their man of the match.

And given the level of his all-round excellence, few could argue with that result.