LONDON — Arsenal eased past Coventry City on Friday, as they opened up their Premier League title defense with a routine 3-0 win in north London as a new signing Christos Tzolis dazzled.
The Greek winger, 24, was superb on the left as he had more touches in the box and more shots than any other player on the pitch as he created so many chances.
“He has been unbelievable since he joined the club,” Mikel Arteta told our analysts on the pitch at the Emirates. “He’s fit in in a really organic way. He’s a really talented player. You can see the crowds reaction immediately and how much they love him. He’s a player who is going to give us a different edge on that left side. He’s been extremely efficient in every game he’s played he’s made an assist or a goal.”
Tzolis set the tone early in the first half against Coventry as he skipped inside and curled a shot just over before being involved in Arsenal’s opening two goals.
“I was very happy to have this performance, and we had a great game, so I’m very, very happy,” Tzolis told Arsenal’s website after the game.
“I felt the energy from the fans, especially in the first half. There was a lot of excitement when I had the ball and that gave me motivation to go with confidence in my actions. I felt it today and I hope that will be for the next games as well.”
“You play for the Champions of England.” 😁
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Christos Tzolis talks why he's chose to come play for Arsenal in the Premier League ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CZJuYLquBN
Tzolis and Saka provide perfect balance
Arsenal’s second goal came after Tzolis sent in a dangerous, teasing cross which was pushed out by Carl Rushworth in Coventry’s goal and then finished by Bukayo Saka. We are going to see that a lot this season between those two.
With Saka able to cut inside and beat his man to the byline with his pace and trickery on the right, Arsenal now have exactly the same on the left with Tzolis.
That gives their attack tremendous balance and Tzolis is an extremely similar player to Saka.
“I’m always trying to be involved to help my team and to make the right decisions. My teammates make it easier for me when they finish the actions or give the pass to me. Everything connects with each other,” Tzolis explained.
“Everybody is at a high level and understands each other very quickly. That’s a big difference with a big team. When you’re champions of England, that means you’re at the top level, so everything makes it easier, even for me as a new player, to adapt quickly. Thanks to my teammates, they’re at the highest level.”
He arrived from Club Brugge this summer for $46.4 million to replace Leandro Trossard as a surprising signing. Tzolis matches the trickery and calmness of the Belgian veteran but is speedy and direct and gives Arsenal’s brilliant attack extra balance.
With Kai Havertz drifting around and creating gaps, Tzolis kept popping up in dangerous areas and showcased his balanced game by threading through a lovely ball to Riccardo Calafiori which ended in the Greek winger seeing his powerful shot deflected wide for a corner. He had another shot saved well soon after and was a constant threat.
“He’s a total player,” Arteta said when asked what his biggest strength is. “In the last 30 meters he is a player who has so much variety to finish actions. So many ways to connect with people, he goes straight to goal and he is very accurate, especially when the spaces start to become a bit smaller.”
Greek winger gives Arsenal different dimension
Tzolis has been Arsenal’s best player in preseason, grabbing two assists against Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend too, and underlined his clear talent with this superb display on his Arsenal debut in the Premier League.
This performance from Tzolis explains why Arsenal are likely to let Gabriel Martinelli leave in the final days of the transfer window and already sold Trossard to Besiktas.
Arteta has his new starting left winger and Tzolis has not only hit the ground running at Arsenal, he can also give them an x-factor and provides more depth and balance to their attack.
It’s early days, but Tzolis has the potential to be one of the signings of the season and he gives Arsenal an extra dimension in their attack.
Long winding road has led to this chance
His character also seems to be exactly what Arteta loves. He’s hungry, grateful for the chance to play at a top club and won’t kick off when he’s rotated in and out of the team at some point this season.
After up and down spells at Norwich City, FC Twente and Fortuna Dusseldorf early in his career, he found his feet at Club Brugge and dazzled in the Champions League last season. Now he has the chance he’s been craving and is ready to deliver.
He has spoken about coming back to England four years after his spell at Norwich and learning so much, and believes he is now better equipped physically and mentally to succeed.
After missing out on signing Vinicius Junior this summer, it looked like left wing would continue to be a problem for Arsenal as most of their attacking play has come down their right side in recent years. That looks set to change.
When Tzolis was replaced with 15 minutes to go on his home debut, and as he got a big pat on the back from Arteta, a huge roar went up from the Arsenal fans as he got a standing ovation.
They love him already and recognize how key he could be this season.
