Arsenal forced to release short statement after Christos Tzolis debut

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Arsenal were forced to release a short statement after supporters were left frustrated by streaming issues during Christos Tzolis' debut against Girona.

The Gunners continued their unbeaten start to pre-season with a comfortable 4-1 victory over the Spanish side on Saturday, but some fans missed parts of the action after experiencing technical problems while trying to watch the game.

Arsenal had made the friendly available via Arsenal.com and the club's official app, but issues with both platforms meant some fans were unable to access the stream. The club later moved coverage to YouTube, where the match was made available for free.

"Arsenal supporters, apologies for the inconvenience. We're working through some issues on Arsenal.com and The Arsenal App," the club said in a statement posted on social media. "Tonight's game is now being streamed for free on our YouTube channel."

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The match also marked the first official appearance of summer signing Christos Tzolis , who wasted little time making an impression after joining from Club Brugge in a £34million deal last month.

The Greece international opened his Arsenal account by doubling their advantage on the half-hour mark after Kai Havertz had put Mikel Arteta's side ahead in the 16th minute. Arnau Martinez pulled one back shortly after half-time, but Max Dowman restored Arsenal's two-goal cushion minutes later before Gabriel Jesus added another to complete a convincing win.

The fixture was Arsenal's second of five pre-season matches this summer, following last week's 3-0 victory over MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors friendly, where Tzolis also impressed.

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Arteta's side will now face Real Betis on Wednesday before taking on Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup next Sunday. They will then conclude their 2026/27 preparations against Como - managed by former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas - four days before their Community Shield clash with Manchester City.

While Tzolis remains Arsenal's only major arrival of the summer so far, the Gunners continue to work on further reinforcements. They are reportedly closing in on a deal for Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, with the Brazilian said to be edging closer to a move after the two clubs made progress over a fee believed to be around £80million.

Arsenal have also been linked with a sensational move for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr , who is currently locked in talks over a new contract at the Bernabeu. The winger has entered the final year of his deal, putting pressure on Madrid to resolve his future, although any potential transfer would likely require a fee well in excess of £100m.

In terms of departures, Arsenal have reportedly agreed to sell Christian Norgaard to Everton for £7m. The move would take their summer sales beyond £40m following the departures of Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Karl Hein.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.