Christos Tzolis was back at his former club on Sunday as the Belgian side took on their city rivals.
The Greek international, who moved to the north London club for £34million during the summer, previously faced Arsenal in European competition while still contracted to Brugge before completing his transfer. He is now hoping the two clubs will be drawn together in the Champions League group stage so he can reunite with former teammates. During Brugge’s narrow victory, Tzolis expressed his desire to see the English side face his old employers, calling it a meaningful opportunity to reconnect with the people he worked alongside previously.
The draw is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Monaco at 5pm, where clubs will discover their group stage opponents.
Tzolis has made an impressive start to life in north London, having already contributed six assists and one goal across all competitions including pre-season fixtures. The 24-year-old has seamlessly integrated into Arsenal’s left-sided attack and is becoming increasingly valuable to the team, particularly as Gabriel Martinelli’s future at the club remains uncertain.
He expressed satisfaction with his early performances, noting the Premier League presents a higher standard of competition but he is fully embracing the experience. His responsibilities in north London mirror his previous role, with Arsenal employing similar attacking principles to what he encountered at his former club. The team dedicates considerable attention to set-piece situations, recognising that these moments can prove decisive at elite levels. He pointed to their 25 set-piece goals from the previous campaign as evidence of this focus. While he expects to take some corners and free kicks, he acknowledged his involvement will likely decrease compared to his time at Brugge.
Following Arsenal’s convincing 3-0 victory over Coventry City in their season opener, Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise for Tzolis, highlighting the youngster’s remarkable energy and influence on the ball despite joining the club only weeks prior.