Arsenal have found new Alexis Sanchez to fire attack to next level

Amid clamour for marquee transfer, Gunners may already have attacking answer

Almost five years ago, Christos Tzolis played in what could be viewed as one of the most significant matches in Arsenal's recent history.

Then only 19, he made his Premier League debut for Norwich, starting on the left wing at the Emirates Stadium.

After three straight defeats without scoring to start the season, Arsenal were bottom of the table. Lose to Norwich and Mikel Arteta’s job would have been in grave danger.

Tzolis did not manage so much as a shot and Arsenal scraped a 1-0 win. Arteta survived and has since transformed the club, as Tzolis knows all too well after facing them again last season when at Club Brugge.

"I can say it was the most difficult team to attack against that I’ve played so far," Tzolis said earlier this summer.

"We played against other big teams, but against Arsenal, we had the most difficulties to make clear chances."

He will be grateful, then, that the challenge of finding a way past Arteta's defensive wall is now limited to the training pitch.

Unrecognisable from the winger who failed to score in 14 Premier League matches for Norwich, Tzolis has been Arsenal's most impressive attacker this summer.

It is not hard to see what attracted the Gunners to a £34million move for the 24-year-old. Tzolis registered 22 goals and 29 assists in all competitions for Club Brugge last season.

The obvious asterisk is that those numbers came in Belgium, ranked as the seventh strongest league in the world, per Opta stats.

Arsenal admired his versatility across the forward line and how two-footed he is, in the mould of Leandro Trossard.

His character impressed Arteta too and those inside the club also felt that Tzolis would help lift the technical quality of the Arsenal attackers.

Primarily, though, his superpower is his output in front of goal. Tzolis has now scored or assisted in each of his last 15 competitive appearances at club level, registering 25 goal involvements in that run.

That is a quality that Arsenal lacked last season, even in a title-winning campaign.

Gabriel Martinelli scored one Premier League goal all season. Only Viktor Gyokeres scored more than seven times in the league. Martin Odegaard led the way for assists with six.

For all Arsenal's style of play has been consistently scrutinised, Arteta also needs his attackers to be more efficient on an individual level.

Tzolis' stats were incredible in Belgium and the early signs for Arsenal are particularly encouraging

Arsenal have a largely streaky set of attackers, capable of going on hot runs for a few matches at a time, but too rarely provide a steady stream of goals or assists through a season.

Part of that is down to availability and the injury issues that have hit many of Arsenal's key forward players in recent seasons.

During two years in Belgium, Tzolis was unavailable for a total of five matches. Three of those were due to illness.

Tzolis' numbers in front of goal were incredible in Belgium and the early signs for Arsenal are particularly encouraging.

Helped by having two weeks of pre-season and a friendly match with Club Brugge to build his fitness before joining the Gunners, Tzolis has looked sharp this summer.

He assisted against Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis, and got off the mark for his new club against Girona when curling into the far corner.

The Community Shield was a step up in opponent and occasion but Tzolis rose to it. His clever header set up Kai Havertz for Arsenal's second and he assisted again when picking out Odegaard in the box.

Wearing the No17 shirt, carrying the ball forward with small touches, and then cutting inside to make the telling contribution, there were shades of Alexis Sanchez to that passage of play.

"He's fitting, he's a really intelligent boy and he has a massive quality which is when he's in the last 20-30 metres," Arteta said after the match.

"He's so composed to pick people out around the box or to finish actions. I'm really impressed with him."

On the Sanchez link, Tzolis said after joining: “Actually, I knew that he wore the number 17. I watched a lot of football and he was a top player for Arsenal, as a left winger always.

“He’s one of the players I looked up to when I was younger. And also, I see some similarities with him. But it’s not the reason I took the number 17.

“It’s nice (though). Alexis Sanchez had number 17 - so I hope I will have the same success.”

Arsenal's openness to sell Gabriel Martinelli, who was left out of Arteta’s squad entirely for the Community Shield, is in itself a show of faith that Tzolis is backed as the first-choice left winger for now.

That flank has been a problem for Arsenal for several seasons, with the team primarily relying on Bukayo Saka and Odegaard on the opposite side.

However, with Riccardo Calafiori roaming up the pitch from left-back and Tzolis hitting the ground running in front of him, Arteta could now be finding a better balance.

Arsenal would ideally strengthen further in attack but they do have options. Eberechi Eze is capable of playing more on the left, for example.

If a sale is not agreed before the end of the transfer window, Martinelli can provide competition for Tzolis. Having a more progressive passer like his Brazil team-mate Bruno Guimaraes in midfield should help him.

This is not to say that Tzolis is the man to build the attack around. When he was signed, it was planned that a more marquee signing would be brought in alongside him.

There is still every chance that happens, whether it be in this window or a future one. Tzolis may well then find his opportunities more limited. As it stands, though, the left-wing role appears to be his.

Arsenal need most of their attackers to improve upon last season as they look to retain their title. For Tzolis, though, more of the same would be just fine.