18 October 2023 , 14:53
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Oleksandr Zinchenko has jokingly warned Chelsea star Mykhaylo Mudryk that he'll 'rip his testicles off' if he scores against Arsenal on Saturday.
Chelsea welcome the Gunners to Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the teatime kick-off, with Mudryk and co hoping to make an early dent in Arsenal's Premier League title challenge. The Blues winger and Zinchenko spent the international break as team-mates for Ukraine, and after Tuesday's crucial 3-1 comeback victory over Malta - in which Mudryk scored a spectacular late goal to seal three crucial points - the Arsenal defender sent him a rather hilarious warning.
"I told him, 'If you do or attempt to do that on Saturday, I'll rip your balls off'," Zinchenko joked on Ukraine's media channel after the Euro 2024 qualifier. "But the most important thing for us was to take three points. I am very happy for him and for the national team, Mykhaylo's goal was important because he calmed down the game a little.
"We have already had the experience of being 2-1 up and losing points in the last minutes, as happened against Kazakhstan [during World Cup qualifying in September 2021]. So this goal means a lot to us and gives us confidence. But now we all have to switch to clubs and on Saturday I already have a very important game in London waiting for me, so Mykhaylo, I'm telling you once again."
Mudryk is enjoying his best run of form since moving to Chelsea back in January in a deal worth up to £88million. With new manager Mauricio Pochettino guiding him, the 22-year-old has scored two goals in his last three starts for club and country, rediscovering the kind of form which made him one of Europe's hottest prospects at Shakhtar Donetsk.
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Mykhaylo Mudryk's good form continued as he scored to give Ukraine a 3-1 victory over Malta in Euro 2024 qualifying (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)It was notably Arsenal who spent months chasing his signature towards the end of 2022, only for Chelsea to dramatically swoop in and cough up Shakhtar's asking price. Zinchenko doesn't hold any kind of grudge against Mudryk, though, telling the Daily Mail: "I said to him, 'It's gone already, it doesn't matter what you wanted, what the other guys wanted'.
"Now you're a Chelsea player, you signed a long-term contract and you have only one option, only one way: direct and forward. Unfortunately, he didn't become an Arsenal player - as I wanted personally - but it's life."