Arsenal fans are worried history could be repeating itself after Christos Tzolis’ display against Aston Villa
We said it after the Coventry game. But we didn’t expect to have to refer back to it so soon.
When Christos Tzolis dazzled on his Premier League debut against the newly-promoted side, there was a word of warning offered.
To be honest, it probably sounded churlish at the time given how electric he looked. But we had been here before.
Willian got a hat-trick of assists against Fulham on his debut in 2020 and looked like the answer to all of Arsenal’s attacking problems. Spoiler alert: he wasn’t!
Monday night at Villa Park was a very different test to the Coventry one. And unfortunately, it was one Tzolis didn’t pass.
Pocketed by Matty Cash throughout the first half, he couldn’t get past the Villa right-back on any consistent basis.
A few bobbly first touches let him down and his decision-making in the final third was poor. He really struggled, and was booked for a foul on Cash after losing the ball to sum it all up.
And by half-time, Mikel Arteta had seen enough. Tzolis was subbed at the interval, replaced by Eberechi Eze, who might now have a golden opportunity to make that position his own.
It was a humbling night for a player who had generated so much excitement just ten days earlier.
And look, it works both ways. One poor performance doesn’t make Tzolis another Willian. The sample size is two games — one against newly-promoted Coventry at home, one away at a difficult Villa Park against a really solid full-back.
What Tzolis’ level actually is will be decided over the course of a full season, not two matches.
Fans can’t and won’t give up on him after what he showed consistently in pre-season, in the Community Shield against Manchester City, and in his Premier League debut.
The set-piece delivery, the composure in deeper areas, the movement — none of that disappeared overnight.
But we do have the Willian comparison to look back on, just to temper fans’ expectations when hyping up a signing so quickly and excitedly after one good game.
It’s also not fair on the player, especially when it’s such an inexperienced one. Give it time. It’s too early to make any conclusive statements either way.
Tzolis has the quality to be the real deal. But Monday night was a really poor showing, and one he’ll want to shake off quickly.
It doesn’t get easier though. Chelsea next. Welcome back to the Premier League.
