What was all the fuss about during pre-season, eh? Arsenal were not convincing as they prepared for the new campaign, winning just one of their games and failing to keep a single clean sheet.
However, as they took on a new look Manchester City side under Enzo Maresca on Sunday, they came away 3-0 victors to lift the Community Shield.
It was a highly impressive performance from the Gunners who laid down their marker for the season ahead and delivered a colossal sign of intent.
Mikel Arteta’s men are favourites for the Premier League again and reflecting on this performance they certainly deserve to be.
How Arsenal cruised to victory against Man City
If you were concerned about how the upcoming term could play out then fear not; Arsenal may be even better than they were last season.
Their performance at the Millenium Stadium this weekend was nothing short of exceptional and they have a few key individuals to thank for that.
Bruno Guimaraes made his debut in the middle of the park and did so alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Odegaard. The summer arrival caught the eye but his midfield colleagues stole the show and overshadowed him.
Lewis-Skelly has been linked with a move away in recent days but on this evidence, it would be crazy if they sold him. The teenager’s role in the build-up to the first goal was truly special.
The Englishman turned Phil Foden and then slid through a delightful inch-perfect pass for left-back Riccardo Calafiori to fire home within the opening 30 seconds of the match.
It was Odegaard, however, who laid on a real clinic besides Lewis-Skelly in the centre of the pitch. Some supporters wanted the Norwegian sold this summer but he looked back to his best. This was easily his finest performance in years.
The skipper ran the show, playing the pre-assist for Kai Havertz’s goal and then finding the net himself to put Arsenal in total control in the second half. His finish oozed class and it oozed composure, sitting down Gianluigi Donnarumma and tucking it home.
It was a vintage Odegaard display, one that rolled back the years to 2022/23 when he was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
He was certainly one of the biggest talking points to come out of the Welsh capital, but not the only one.
Arsenal may have found their new Saka against Man City
Arsenal’s summer transfer business has cause a stir and not always for the right reasons.
Coming into this summer, every man, woman and their pet dog knew that Arteta needed to bolster the forward line. If there was one area of concern during their title-winning campaign, it was that they did not always put their opposition to the sword.
They needed a game-changer, they needed an elite forward capable of taking them to the next level. Vinicius Junior and Morgan Rogers came and went to no avail.
When it came to Christos Tzolis, however, there were no problems. The Greek signed in a £34m deal and while there was cautious optimism, there was a realisation that the former Club Brugge man may not be a ceiling raiser.
That being said, he has started his adventure at the Emirates Stadium like a house on fire, scoring against Girona and then registering assists against Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund in pre-season.
He saved his most outstanding performance yet, however, for the Community Shield. Tzolis started the game slowly but soon grew into his skin and left the field at the end of the game as one of Arsenal’s best players in Wales.
|
Tzolis vs Man City |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Accurate passes |
19/26 (73%) |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
Touches |
42 |
|
Fouled |
Twice |
|
Carries |
12 |
|
Progressive carries |
3 |
|
Ball recoveries |
4 |
|
Duels won |
5/14 |
While the wide player has been seen as the replacement for Leandro Trossard, there was something of a Bukayo Saka to his display. Why? Well, like the number 7, he was a creative force more than he was a goalscoring threat on Sunday.
Last term, Tzolis scored 22 goals and registered an enormous 29 assists. While he may find it a challenge to hit those sorts of numbers again in England, he certainly looks like a menace when it comes to producing goalscoring opportunities.
Against City, the new arrival came up with two assists. The first was a deft header to supply Havertz after Odegaard’s ball in and the second saw him get down the left before pulling the ball back for the captain to eventually fire home.
His performance was brilliant, creating three key passes and attempting as many as four dribbles.
It was a superb display and while Arsenal may still crave their ‘elite’ wide player this summer, Tzolis could well become that in the forthcoming years. After all, the scout who helped discover Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also had a hand in bringing the ex-Brugge man to north London.
Expectations must be tempered but at long last, it looks as though Arsenal may well have finally found their answer to Saka on the left-hand side of their attack. They have been craving that for years.
