Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko chose not to celebrate after scoring the opening goal for Mikel Arteta’s side in their Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against PSV — and fans are having mixed reactions.
Arteta made seven changes to his lineup for the match, bringing in Ben White, Jorginho, Raheem Sterling, Kieran Tierney, Jakub Kiwior, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, alongside Zinchenko.
Just six minutes into the game in North London, Zinchenko fired a powerful shot from outside the box past PSV keeper Walter Benitez, making it 8-1 on aggregate.
However, rather than celebrating, the Ukrainian international turned away from goal and raised his hands, a gesture that caught a lot of attention.
Zinchenko, now 28, appeared to skip the celebration out of respect for PSV, a club he briefly played for on loan during the 2016/17 season when he was still a Manchester City player, featuring in 12 league games.
The moment sparked debate on social media.
One fan wrote: “Zinchenko refusing to celebrate against a club he played 12 games for at 19. Game’s gone.”
Another added: “Not celebrating is one thing, but apologizing to the away fans? Where’s my game gone?”
A third commented: “Because of a 12-game loan spell in 2016, Zinchenko can’t celebrate a great goal? Game’s gone, to be honest.”
Someone else called it “utter woke nonsense,” while another fan described Zinchenko’s reaction as a “class act.”
Reflecting on his time at PSV in a 2023 interview, Zinchenko said it was a crucial period in his career:
“First of all, it was an amazing experience — a very important year for me. Even though I didn’t play as much as I wanted, I wouldn’t trade that time for anything. Whenever people ask about PSV, I always say good things because it’s a fantastic place — football-wise and for living life.”
He added: “Even after I left, I visited a few times for holidays because I made friends there. For a young player, it was a great environment — always a full stadium, passionate fans, and people happy to see you. That’s what every footballer wants.”
What do you think about Zinchenko’s reaction? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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