Thierry Henry has admitted Christos Tzolis has already changed his mind about Arsenal's summer signing, describing the former Club Brugge winger as a “gem for the future” after his impressive start in north London.
Tzolis completed his dream move from Club Brugge to Arsenal this summer and made an immediate impact in his first competitive appearance.
The Greece international provided two assists as Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, helping the Premier League champions begin the new campaign with another trophy.
His early performances have certainly convinced Henry.
Henry admits Tzolis has changed his mind
The Arsenal legend revealed he initially had doubts when the Gunners decided to bring Tzolis to the Premier League from Belgium.
Those concerns quickly disappeared after watching the winger during pre-season.
“When Arsenal brought Tzolis in from Belgium, I wasn't convinced,” Henry told Prime Video.
“But after two games in pre-season I called Vieira and said: ‘We’ve got a gem for the future.’”
Tzolis then strengthened that impression against Manchester City, playing a decisive role with two assists in his first official Arsenal appearance.
Arteta impressed by Tzolis intelligence
Mikel Arteta has also been impressed by how quickly the winger has adapted to his new surroundings.
The Arsenal manager highlighted Tzolis' decision-making in the final third as one of his biggest qualities.
According to Arteta, the winger remains composed in the final 20 to 30 metres and regularly makes the correct decision, whether that means finding a teammate around the penalty area or attempting to finish the move himself.
“He is so eager to learn and improve,” Arteta said. “He is a consistent player, I’m impressed.”
Arteta also believes playing alongside higher-quality teammates can help Tzolis improve his attacking numbers by putting him in dangerous positions more frequently.
His Community Shield performance offered an early demonstration of that potential, with the Greek winger creating two of Arsenal's three goals against City.
Key Points
- Thierry Henry admits he was initially unconvinced by Tzolis.
- Henry now believes Arsenal have signed a “gem for the future”.
- Tzolis provided two assists against Manchester City.
- Arsenal won the Community Shield 3-0.
- Arteta has praised Tzolis' intelligence and decision-making in attacking areas.
- The Arsenal boss believes his numbers can improve further alongside better players.
What's Next?
Tzolis will now attempt to carry his impressive pre-season and Community Shield form into the Premier League campaign.
Expectations are already rising after his immediate impact, but perhaps the biggest compliment is how quickly he has converted one of Arsenal's greatest-ever players from a sceptic into a believer.
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