To spite the critics: how Dzyuba scored a hat-trick in the match with Rostov and rewrote the history of the RPL

Artyom Dzyuba's signing of a contract with Lokomotiv raised questions among some domestic football fans.

There were fair fears that the attacker, after an unsuccessful period in Turkey, would not be able to return to the previous level.

In addition, at the age of 34, it was extremely difficult for him to quickly get into optimal shape, given that he played his last official match in early October.

However, in the very first meetings, the forward showed that he was still able to score regularly, at least in the RPL.

Even in the cup matches with Spartak, the veteran looked good, although he failed to excel.

But he diligently clung to the balls and tried to play along.

With new partners, Dziuba lacked mutual understanding, but it was his activity that almost helped the railroad workers get away from defeat in the first game.

The player himself missed a 100% chance in the end, not hitting an empty goal, and this could be explained by not the best conditions.

In the return game, Artyom did not have such moments, but much more often he found Sergei Pinyaev and Maxim Glushenkov with passes.

Especially well he felt the opening of the young pupil of "Chertanovo".

Regularly, the forward also moved to the flanks, freeing up space for teammates.

But a much more noticeable event was a big interview with the four-time champion of Russia.

He rarely speaks at length to reporters, but when he does, he says what he thinks directly, without trying to soften the rhetoric.

So his conversation with Nobel Arustamyan produced the effect of an exploding bomb.

The interlocutor managed to make about a dozen high-profile statements: for the abundance of Latin Americans in the squad, he called the former team “Zenith Rio de Janeiro”, following the results of winter negotiations with Torpedo, he criticized Andrey Talalaev, accused Sergei Semak of unwillingness to have unpleasant conversations, considered agents the main evil Russian football and even compared himself to Cristiano Ronaldo.

“We have really comparable things with him.

It was really interesting.

He is in reserve - and I am in reserve, he is past the application - I am past the application.

I wanted to dial him and say: "Krish, amigo."

I understand perfectly well that the scales are different, but there are some parallels, ”Dziuba emphasized.

His confessions caused at least bewilderment, and at most irritation.

Many felt that the striker had lost touch with reality and had ceased to sensibly assess his own capabilities.

However, just a few days later, Artyom silenced all the critics in the match with Rostov.

It was extremely important for Lokomotiv to start the year with a victory in order to break away from Fakel and Khimki, which had gone off the rails, and close the gap on the defeated Nizhny Novgorod.

And the newcomer, who had not scored in the RPL for almost a year, actually single-handedly brought the red-green key three points in the fight for survival.

Moreover, it cannot be said that the whole game that evening went through him.

In terms of the number of touches (28) and assists (16), he took only tenth place in the team.

But he did an excellent job with his direct duties.

All three forward strikes on target were productive.

In the first half, he corrected the ball after an inaccurate shot by Nair Tiknizyan.

In the 58th minute, he picked up the ball in the penalty area and elegantly threw Sergei Pesyakov, who had jumped out to meet him.

Finally, Dzyuba put an end to it by closing a cross from the flank at the far post.

It is significant that, having scored the third, Artyom celebrated it with Ronaldo's trademark gesture.

Now there are even more common features in the careers of the players: both failed in the first part of the current season and changed the championship, both gave high-profile interviews and then began to score a lot in the new place.

The players also have a large number of records, although the Portuguese sets them at a different level.

For example, the Russian became the first athlete to overcome the bar of 150 goals in the RPL.

Now he has 151, and he is 11 ahead of the closest pursuer Oleg Veretennikov.

Also, the forward remains unattainable in the league in terms of the number of hat-tricks (six).

Moreover, he became only the third player to score so many goals on his debut for a new team in the Premier League.

Previously, Andres Dreyer (Rubin) and Yura Movsisyan (Spartak) managed to do this.

It is significant that all this had to do with the confrontation with Valery Karpin, with whom the striker had a difficult relationship back in Spartak.

Under him, a pupil of the club was twice forced to go on loan.

The conflict persisted even after the transition to Zenit.

According to the athlete in the same interview, a few years ago they almost got into a fight when they met.

It is not surprising that he always tried to upset Rostov and scored a total of eight goals against the southerners after the unloved mentor arrived there.

Moreover, in 2019, Dziuba also scored a hat-trick.

Then his hat-trick helped Zenit to achieve a crushing victory - 6:1.

“To upset Georgich is a must.

Replaced in the case, he got a bruise, Viktor Melekhin hit the knee with his heel.

Fourth goal?

We need to know the measure.

Three - I'm already happy.

It was important to win, we are in a situation in which Lokomotiv should not be, ”admitted the striker after the final whistle.

But it is much more important that Dziuba clearly showed himself in a match with the mentor of the Russian national team.

The theme of the national team took a special place in his sensational interview.

He admitted that after his appointment in 2021, Karpin had a conversation with him, during which all the contradictions were settled.

The specialist allegedly expressed a desire to call an experienced football player, and he was ready to come.

But it was not without serious criticism.

According to the striker, the national team had extremely incomprehensible friendly matches last year, and the players in them did not demonstrate due dedication.

“It makes me angry.

Not called - I'm calm.

But I do not like lack of will, it is not clear how to look at it.

People enter the field for the first time under the flag of the country and have to die, and they play with such a favor... Whom can they not beat there?

Kyrgyzstan?

Uzbekistan?

Well, what is it?

— complained forward.

Artyom also stressed that he is ready and wants to play in the next test match with Iran in March.

And it seems that his invitation will really benefit everyone.

Firstly, it will attract interest to the team itself.

Games with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan did not arouse interest among fans, especially given the not very bright game and low performance.

The arrival of a veteran is guaranteed to attract additional attention to her.

Karpin himself will receive an extremely motivated ward, who, unlike some others, will be eager to give all his best even not in official meetings, but at the same time will require the same attitude to business from partners.

In addition, the coach will finally be able to leave the conflict with the striker in the past and prove that he has become more experienced and learned to reconcile with the players.

Well, there is no doubt about the motivation of Dzyuba himself, because he has a clear and precise goal - to break another record and become the top scorer in the history of the national team.

At the moment, with 30 goals, he shares the lead in this indicator with Alexander Kerzhakov.