The sequel is rarely as good as the first installment. For one reason or another, that magic is so hard to capture a second time. The contradictory requirement of replicating the greatness of the original while refraining from being too repetitive is often too high a standard to satisfy. And so, we’ve lived our lives witnessing one sequel after another fall by the wayside.
Ocean’s Twelve.
Thor: The Dark World.
Season two ofTrue Detective.
Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Spy Kids 2.
Time and time again, we’ve seen follow-ups to great originals flop. This phenomenon is so prevalent, so consistent, that the mere fact something is a sequel inspires an immediate dampening of expectations. We emotionally prepare ourselves for that inevitable realization, that we’ve wasted time and perhaps even money on something we knew would disappoint us.
For all of us, Leandro Trossard was that sensational blockbuster film, that perfect first season of television. The little Belgian departs Arsenal as a cult classic. Years from now, supporters will throw on his highlights and demand their children watch them the way one might do with the original Harry Potter movies (or if you’re a more cultured individual,The Princess Bride).
It follows then that Christos Tzolis is the sequel to Trossard. The Greek arrives to take up the mantle at left wing, the same position in which Trossard became an Arsenal legend. Tzolis is similar to the Belgian in terms of profile as well; also diminutive in size, the former Club Brugge man is very two-footed and isn’t a touchline winger, but rather a forward who prefers to start wide and then end sequences more centrally. Both love to get into the left half-space and have a shot at goal, and both are quite good at it as well.
However, the similarities in style between the two players have done little to assuage fans’ pessimism regarding Tzolis. The premise of this sequel, in their minds, isn’t as well-crafted by the writers room (I need to find an off-ramp from this extended metaphor, and quickly). Instead of being a proven Premier League veteran, the Greek forward is younger than Trossard was when he arrived at Arsenal, and moves to north London from the Belgian league. Instead of scoring hat tricks against Liverpool and falling out irreparably with Roberto De Zerbi, Tzolis is a plucky 24-year-old who wants to prove himself despite having made his modest name outside of the top five European leagues.
It’s not an enticing antihero redemption arc. It’s a very early-2010s Arsène Wenger move, made the season after Arsenal finally clinched their first Premier League title in 22 years. Given the circumstances it is understandable to find the acquisition, to be frank, a bit underwhelming.
But I believe it would be a mistake to write off Tzolis from the outset, and perhaps that will be the moral of the story in the end. Because, believe it or not, good players exist outside of the Premier League and best teams in Europe. And the facts indicate that Tzolis is a very good player.
Let’s start with the surface-level numbers. Last season with Club Brugge, the Greek accumulated a stunning 22 goals and 29 assists in 52 appearances. That includes three goals and five assists in the Champions League and its qualifying rounds. In his 24/25 campaign, Tzolis racked up 21 goals and 16 assists in 56 total matches, including a goal and two assists in 12 Champions League appearances.
Now, some people will look at that and say this is another Viktor Gyökeres situation; at Sporting, the Swede scored an eye-popping 97 goals in 102 games. And both players did briefly ply their trade in England before venturing to greener pastures overseas and eventually returning with Arsenal. Gyökeres enjoyed stints at Brighton, Swansea City, and Coventry City while Tzolis featured as part of the ensemble at Norwich for a few years. As much as one can draw parallels with Trossard, there are seemingly similarities to Arsenal’s big-backed center forward as well.
Due to the relative level of the Primera Liga compared to the Premier League, many argued before the Swedish striker’s arrival at Arsenal that such an output would not translate to the English top flight. And to an extent, those doubters were right. Gyökeres failed to replicate his goalscoring conquests in north London last season. He did not take the English top flight by storm and blow even Erling Haaland’s numbers out of the water.
However, he still produced 21 goals and three assists in his maiden campaign with the Gunners, making him the top scorer in a side that won the league and were a penalty shootout away from becoming champions of Europe too. Of course, Gyökeres’ performance wasn’t always a pretty sight. His play, especially on the ball, is rather clunky. He has also struggled to make an impact in matches against elite opposition. If reports that Atlético Madrid are willing to swap Julian Alvarez for him plus cash, I would personally do that deal. But make no mistake, Arsenal’s no. 14 is no lumbering oaf.
In any event, Tzolis’ attributes are more scaleable to Premier League football. Whereas Gyökeres requires a good amount of space to be his most impactful, the Greek’s skill set is one that scales better to the English game. Arsenal’s new no. 17 brings with him a high level of technical quality in the final third. While he isn’t a flashy dribbler of a player, Tzolis boasts ball control that makes it difficult to dispossess him. The way the ball is practically glued to his feet as he glides toward goal makes him one of the better carriers in Europe. Last season, he finished with the most completed dribbles (40) and the most progressive carries (359) in the Belgian Pro League. It is a welcome skill that the Gunners needed more of even before Trossard departed.
Additionally, the Greek is a dangerous finisher in tight spaces. His close control in possession allows him to reliably create separation before he fires at goal, while a short backlift means he gets his shots off quickly. The result is that when Tzolis decides to make an attempt at scoring, that attempt typically happens. This is something that Gyökeres struggled with in his first season at Arsenal, especially early on, given the time and space the Swede requires in order to shoot.
Tzolis is so good at this that he even has something of a trademark finish. As I mentioned earlier, he likes to cut in on his right foot. When he does this, he often shifts the ball rapidly from his left foot onto his stronger side, lines up his marker in front of him, and then bends a shot around that defender into the far side of the net. We should expect to see that type of goal from him at Arsenal.
But that’s not the only scoring situation the Greek forward excels in. Tzolis, again like Trossard, boasts a variety of different kinds of finishes in his game. He can hit a vicious piledriver from distance, and also has a neat left-footed shot into the far bottom corner that he can pull out from narrow angles on the left side of the penalty area.
Speaking of the danger he can create on his left foot, the now former Club Brugge man is very capable at whipping in crosses with that leg as he is charging toward the byline. Tzolis offers some very threatening cutbacks and low drives across the face of goal on that foot. In contrast, Trossard could have done that more during his time at Arsenal and Gabriel Martinelli almost seems reluctant to try it. Both of the Gunners’ main left wingers last season preferred to regularly cut onto their right foot and fire in an inswinging cross (which Tzolis can also do very well), leading to a bit of predictability from that side of the field.
And it’s not just from open play that Tzolis can assist goals from his teammates. According to Opta, 52 of the 135 chances he created at Club Brugge last season (the most in the Belgian league in the 25/26 term) came from set pieces. This could be particularly useful if Declan Rice, Arsenal’s foremost dead ball specialist, is forced to miss at least the beginning of the new campaign.
His athleticism should also translate fairly well. Among all players in the Champions League last season, Tzolis registered a top speed that was just short of Martinelli’s and almost 300 places above Trossard’s. The Greek also ranked 20th for total sprints in the premier European competition and 14th for sprints per 90. This is a player who is going to bring energy to Arsenal’s left side, both in and out of possession.
The underlying numbers support a strong case for optimism regarding Tzolis, too. Gradient Sports gave him an overall grade of 75.4 in the Champions League, making him their 49th-highest rated forward in the competition last term. Gradient also gave him the 17th-highest grade for crossing, 38th-highest grade for passing, 17th-highest grade for ball carrying, 25th-highest grade for shooting, 23rd-highest grade for ball control, and 12th-highest grade for pressured shooting. I also highly recommend checking outScott Willis’ statistical deep dive on Tzolis, but the TL;DR is that even when his numbers are adjusted for the strength of the Belgian league, his production is highly impressive and suggests the Gunners could have a bargain on their hands.
Yes, most sequels don’t turn out to be as good as the original (and yes, we’re back on this metaphor). Like I said at the beginning of this piece, it’s just so difficult to recreate magic at will like that. But for every handful that disappoint, there exists a follow-up that threatens to outdo its predecessor.
The Dark Knight.
Spider-Man 2.
The Godfather, Part II.
Season two ofThe Wire.
Toy Story 2.
It is challenging. But some sequels do go on to live up to or even exceed what came before.
Ultimately, Tzolis is a sequel to Trossard. Now, both have made moves from the Belgian Pro League to the Premier League at the age of 24. Arsenal waited to acquire Trossard from Brighton when he was older but in a transfer landscape where value is as fleeting as a wisp of smoke in the wind, the Gunners have cut out the middleman with Tzolis.
Now, the record sale for Club Brugge comes in to fulfill the same role the man before him did: to serve as a secondary option at left wing, a “finisher” as Mikel Arteta likes to call them, who can produce decisive moments of quality when the stars come up short. While a star never really emerged on that flank during Trossard’s time at Arsenal, the Belgian was able to rise to the challenge and become a star in his own right. Tzolis will likely face a bigger name in his path to playing time than Trossard did, but perhaps he can realize the upper limits of his capabilities as well. Only time will tell.
When sequels come out, as is the case with all films, there are those who are able to view them in advance and provide the general public with their unvarnished thoughts on what to expect. Given how few Arsenal fans have spent time properly watching Tzolis before he dons the red and white shirt, I think the opinions of those who do boast an understanding of the Greek forward are very valuable. One such expert is Dimitris Manakos, whose excellent reporting on the transfer rightfully earned acknowledgement from David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, among others. Manakos, who has followed Tzolis’ career for quite some time now, had some rave reviews that he was graciously willing to share.
On the subject of why people should believe the Greek can become a key player for Arsenal, he told me:
“I think the biggest reason is that Tzolis is no longer judged on potential alone. Over the last few seasons, he has consistently produced goals and assists while becoming a far more complete footballer. He has learned to make better decisions in the final third, understands different tactical roles and has shown that he can perform under pressure in both domestic and European competitions.
Obviously, earning a regular place at Arsenal is a completely different challenge, and no player arrives guaranteed to become a key figure. But if you look at his development rather than where he was three or four years ago, there is every reason to believe he has the qualities to make a significant impact.”
I’ve made sequels the overarching theme of this piece and in truth, it is because of one central reason: Arsenal are entering a new chapter of their history. No longer are the Gunners painstaking underdogs fighting to return the club to its previous glory. Things are different now. This is a new phase in the story.
Oddly enough, Tzolis’ career makes for an interesting through line in the epic tale of Arteta’s Arsenal so far. When he played for Norwich, the Greek made his Premier League debut aged 19 years old at none other than the Emirates Stadium. At the time, Arsenal sat dead last in the table after losing their opening three matches to Brentford, Chelsea, and Manchester City. Reports were circulating regarding the hierarchy’s contingency plans in the event of relegation. Arteta’s job was likely on the line just short of two years into his tenure. The nervy 1-0 win at home to the Canaries was a relief more than anything else.
Tzolis returns to the Emirates, as Manakos states, a far more complete footballer. And Arsenal are a far more complete team. So complete in fact, that they now reign over the Premier League as its current champions. The objective no longer is about clawing their way to the top — it is about fighting off all challengers to stay there.
Arsenal’s newest acquisition seems to have what it takes to aid in that effort. I asked Manakos what about Tzolis he thinks will surprise fans most. This was his response:
“I think Arsenal supporters will be surprised by how direct he is in the final third. People often see him as a traditional winger, but he is constantly looking to attack space, drive at defenders and make things happen. He doesn’t just stay wide and deliver crosses—he wants to get into dangerous positions, combine quickly and arrive in areas where he can influence the game.
The other thing that stands out is his mentality. His spell at Norwich could easily have defined his career, but instead he responded by rebuilding himself step by step. That resilience, combined with the maturity he has gained over the last few years, is probably the biggest difference between the player English fans remember and the player they would see today.”
Merriam-Webster’s “simple definition” of a quantum is “the smallest amount of many forms of energy”. It is the basic unit that comprises a whole, the building block of an entirety. As I’ve learned about him, I have wondered about the makeup of Arsenal’s newest signing. What is the constitution of the Greek forward arriving from Club Brugge? What is, at the risk of evoking a disappointing sequel and not one that is more of a triumph, the quantum of Tzolis?
I conclude that one component of it is intelligence. Tzolis seems to regularly make the right decision on the ball, and won’t be a player who tries something groan-inducing as several Arsenal forwards have in recent memory. The man himself also says he most looks forward to learning from Bukayo Saka, whose superpower is choosing wisely in possession.
It is also comprised of tenacity. The Gunners’ announcement video hinted at this regarding Tzolis, as did the player himself in his first interview at the club. The voiceover in the official unveiling mentions “doing it over and over and over again, until it’s all you know” while the Greek describes himself as a direct player. Those and his stats combine to paint the picture of a player who will keep driving and shooting and passing until the match is won. An underrated feature of this player is how willing he is to keep going.
Lastly, a quantum of Tzolis contains resilience. This is not a nascent footballer who has burst onto the scene early. After being unable to break into the starting lineup of relegation fodder as a teenager in the English top flight, he went off and did the hard yards. The forward ascended the ranks gradually, moving from the Eredivisie to the 2. Bundesliga to the Belgian Pro League before Arsenal made him the most expensive Greek player in history. He bounced back from that disappointment and grafted against adversity to come back to England stronger.
Those ingredients form a quantum of Tzolis. The funny thing is, those are also the building blocks of your typical Arteta player. Those were the most basic units we saw in Trossard, too.
And therein lies the magic Arsenal and Tzolis will hope to recapture together.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider following me on Twitter@Shamsdale or on Bluesky@shamsdale.bsky.social.
Or you can buy me a coffeehere.
No posts