Arsenal’s left-side problem is taking a new shape

Winning the Premier League did not end the questions around Arsenal’s attacking structure. For several seasons, the club’s right side has been its most sophisticated outlet, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Ben White rotating positions to destabilise opponents. The left side, by contrast, was often viewed as less threatening.

The summer speculation around Vinicius Junior appeared to offer a straightforward answer: add a world-class left-sided attacker and restore balance across the front line. Arsenal ultimately missed out on the Brazilian, but they did sign Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34 million ($46 million). The Greek winger is now providing an alternative solution.

How Tzolis attacks on the diagonal

Tzolis is a right-footed winger who plays from the left. That positioning allows him to cut inside on his stronger foot, but unlike many inverted wingers, he does not always rely on creating enough separation to shoot. His most distinctive contribution has been the diagonal pass into the penalty area.

The move begins with Tzolis isolating an opposing full-back in a wide position. By threatening both a run down the line and a cut inside, he draws the defender towards him. Once he moves inward, a diagonal passing lane opens into the box, where several Arsenal players can attack at once.

Community Shield movement created the opening

That pattern was evident in Tzolis’ second assist against Manchester City. He ran at Abdukodir Khusanov before cutting inside, while four Arsenal players attacked different points along the diagonal route. The movement forced Manchester City’s defenders to account for multiple possible receivers.

Riccardo Calafiori and Kai Havertz made decoy runs that pulled the defence out of position. The resulting lane allowed Martin Odegaard to arrive in front of Josko Gvardiol and go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Because the diagonal pass did not identify a single target immediately, the goalkeeper stayed on his line, and Odegaard was able to finish comfortably.

The same idea decided the Chelsea game

Arsenal used the mechanism again for their winner against Chelsea at the Emirates. Tzolis was isolated against Josh Acheampong and once more cut inside to open the diagonal. Arsenal’s runners immediately attacked the line, with Calafiori again making a sacrificial run to draw a defender away.

Tzolis played the pass towards Havertz, who allowed the ball to run through to the unmarked Odegaard. Because Odegaard was attacking the same diagonal with momentum, he again found himself facing the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation and finished the chance.

The sequence illustrates why the move is so difficult to defend. The diagonal pass does not merely deliver the ball into the box; it makes defenders hesitate, pulls them away from their positions and gives several runners a chance to become the intended receiver.

A tactical gain beyond the transfer market

Vinicius Junior would have represented a major statement signing, but Arsenal’s development of this pattern suggests that their answer on the left does not have to come solely through individual brilliance. Tzolis has added a different type of threat to the attack, one built on timing, movement and passing angles.

If Arsenal can continue to access the diagonal lane with the same precision, the arrival of Tzolis may help them move beyond their previous right-side dependence—and make the disappointment of missing out on Vinicius Junior fade quickly.