Arteta has new left-wing solution alongside Tzolis, he could start vs Chelsea
Arsenal have made a solid start to the Premier League campaign with back-to-back wins, and they could face their toughest challenge yet against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have had a brilliant record against the Blues over the past five years with eight wins and three draws in all competitions, but Sunday’s game may not be straightforward.
Chelsea have looked highly impressive going forward under manager Xabi Alonso. They will present the Gunners’ defence with a bigger headache compared to recent matches.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have the attacking ammunition to hurt the Blues’ vulnerable backline, and manager Mikel Arteta could consider a possible change on the left wing on Sunday.
Christos Tzolis has been impressive on the left wing since arriving from Club Brugge. He was brilliant against Manchester City in the Community Shield, registering two assists.
The 24-year-old also dazzled against Coventry City with a couple of key passes, but he had a genuine reality check against Aston Villa on the road earlier on Monday night.
The Greek struggled physically against Matty Cash, who man-marked him brilliantly and could face something similar against Chelsea, with Reece James taking up a similar role.
Arteta replaced Tzolis with Eberechi Eze at half-time at Villa Park this week. The Englishman made the difference with a key pass to Riccardo Calafiori, who provided the assist for Bukayo Saka’s winner.
Eze could also have scored a goal of his own. The 28-year-old was in a brilliant position on the counter-attack with loads of space, but Saka unfortunately did not deliver an early cross.
The former Crystal Palace man doesn’t provide the same width as Tzolis on the left wing, but he showed he can play there, operating in a slightly left-sided number 10 role at times.
Eze has largely featured as a playmaker at Arsenal, but he had a more than decent record as a left winger for the Eagles. He accumulated 16 goal contributions in 49 appearances across all competitions.
Tzolis had a tough outing against Villa, with just one out of seven duels won. It won’t be easier against Blues captain James, and Arteta could turn to Eze on the left wing from the off.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
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