English media rave about Christos Tzolis as Arsenal’s €40m deal looks a bargain

Christos Tzolis delivered an impressive competitive debut for Arsenal by providing two assists in Sunday's 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City, earning widespread praise from the English media.

The Greece international joined Arsenal from Club Brugge for €40m this summer after previously playing for FC Twente and had already impressed during pre-season.

Given a starting role against City, Tzolis quickly demonstrated why Arsenal invested heavily in the 24-year-old.

After Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring, Tzolis headed Martin Ødegaard's cross back towards Kai Havertz, who converted Arsenal's second.

Shortly after half-time, Tzolis then found Ødegaard for the third goal to complete an emphatic victory.

The BBC identified Tzolis as one of Arsenal's standout performers, highlighting his two assists and influence from the left flank.

His performance earned further coverage from the broadcaster, which suggested the Greek international could develop into an important player for Arsenal after carrying his encouraging pre-season form into competitive action.

The Guardian was similarly impressed, noting Tzolis' involvement in all three Arsenal goals and highlighting his influence in advanced areas.

No Arsenal player completed more passes in the final third, according to the newspaper, adding another dimension to a performance already defined by his two assists.

The Sun argued that Tzolis demonstrated why Arsenal were willing to spend €40m on him, praising both his work with the ball and his movement without it. The newspaper suggested his transfer fee could eventually look like a bargain in the context of the current market.

Beyond the two assists, Tzolis created a match-high three chances, including two big chances, while recording six touches inside Manchester City's penalty area during his 90-minute performance.

Those numbers underline his involvement rather than simply reflecting two decisive moments.

The Community Shield remains only his first competitive appearance for Arsenal, so broader conclusions about his impact would be premature. Nevertheless, producing that level of performance against Manchester City represents an encouraging start to his career in north London.

Tzolis will now look to carry his pre-season and Community Shield form into the Premier League.

Competition will provide a more sustained test of how quickly he can adapt to English football, but two assists against Manchester City have already strengthened his case for a prominent role on Arsenal's left side.