Arsenal's Zinchenko wins hearts with reaction of disbelief to Saliba's goal against Bournemouth

Arsenal's new signee Oleksandr Zinchenko could not believe what he witnessed from his teammate William Saliba during the Gunners' 3-0 victory against Bournemouth in their Premier League clash on Saturday.

Club captain Martin Odegaard had handed the visitors an early 2-0 lead, but Saliba's incredible goal in the second half sealed the victory. At the Vitality Stadium, the defender excelled again, finishing strong with a gorgeous left-footed chip into the top corner.

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Zinchenko's expression of surprise as he put his hands on his head and turned away best described the French centre-back's talent. The Ukrainian's reaction was not purely because of the 21-year-old's goal but also his overall performance.

In a post-match interview, Zinchenko was asked about his reaction to Saliba's incredible goal, and in response, the Ukrainian had nothing but praises for the young gun.

"Oh my gosh, this guy is incredible; honestly, he's unbelievable!" Zinchenko said.

"I wish he can keep going like that. Honestly, I'm not the guy to judge him but it looks like he has unbelievable experience behind him, and he's incredible. Honestly, I wish him to keep going, and then we'll see what's going to happen," the new Arsenal recruit added.

Given that it comes from a player who has shared the field at Manchester City with some legendary athletes, that is exceptionally high praise.

Zinchenko also spoke about the 'great feeling' that he has to be sitting top of the Premier League with three wins from their first three games. 

"It's a great feeling to get three points, and we don't concede a goal," he said.

"It's always important to score at the beginning of the game because this first goal can give you some confidence to control the game, and that's what we did. We did well, especially in the first half. The opponent didn't create anything – they had zero shots on target," the Ukrainian who won the title last year with holders Manchester City added.

"In the second half, they started to play with three at the back, and we were suffering at some points, but in the end, we didn't concede. That's the most important thing. There are still a lot of things to improve, but I think we are on the right way," Zinchenko concluded.

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Saliba too cherished his first goal for the Gunners. In an Instagram post, the Frenchman said, "Happy of my first goal with @arsenal . Another win and clean sheet. Thanks for the amazing support again! #COYG ❤️🤍"

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by William Saliba (@w.saliba4)

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old's reaction to Saliba's goal has gone viral on Twitter, with several users applauding the Ukrainian's gesture. Here's a look at some of the responses: