Gary Neville believes Mikel Arteta should drop Christos Tzolis and start Eberechi Eze when Arsenal face Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The £34million summer signing endured his most difficult Arsenal outing so far during the 1-0 victory at Aston Villa, with Arteta replacing him at half-time after he struggled against Matty Cash.
Eze came on in his place and immediately gave Arsenal a different threat from the left, eventually becoming involved in the move that led to Bukayo Saka’s winning goal.
Read Arsenal highlighted that selection dilemma immediately after the game in our feature on why Eberechi Eze has given Arteta a huge Chelsea decision.
Neville now expects Arteta to make the change.
🗣️Gary Neville says Eze has to start over Tzolis in #Arsenal’s next PL game against Chelsea: “I thought Eze did really well in the second half against Villa, I would be surprised if he doesn’t play next week against Chelsea. It’s a big game and Mikel Arteta might just have to… pic.twitter.com/uOMjagY3UV
— Arsenal News Channel (@Arsenalnewschan) September 2, 2026
Neville expects Eberechi Eze to start against Chelsea
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the former Manchester United defender argued that Tzolis had received an important lesson about Premier League defending at Villa Park.
Neville felt Cash was particularly aggressive against the Arsenal winger and believes opposition full-backs will increasingly try to stop him cutting inside.
He then backed Eze to replace the Greece international against Chelsea, saying he would be “stunned if Eze doesn’t play” after his second-half display.
The debate follows a sharp contrast between Tzolis’ first two competitive performances and his night at Villa.
Sky Sports described the winger as a major attacking threat after Arsenal’s opening win over Coventry, having already impressed during the Community Shield. However, their Aston Villa match analysis acknowledged that Villa proved a much tougher assignment and that Eze’s introduction helped Arsenal improve after half-time.
Tzolis struggled against Matty Cash
Tzolis arrived from Club Brugge for around £34m after Arsenal moved quickly to reshape their left wing.
Our report on Arsenal’s agreement to sign Christos Tzolis detailed a deal that looked increasingly shrewd after his encouraging pre-season and opening competitive appearances.
Against Villa, however, he found significantly less space.
Cash defended aggressively, preventing Tzolis from repeatedly moving onto his stronger foot and forcing him into areas where his influence was reduced.
The Arsenal winger was also booked before Arteta decided to make the change at the interval.
Neville believes that experience could ultimately help Tzolis adapt to the Premier League rather than representing any serious cause for concern.
The issue for Sunday is simply whether Chelsea is the right game for Arteta to ask him to respond immediately.
Eze made an immediate impact for Arsenal
Eze’s case is considerably stronger after Villa Park.
Arsenal looked more dangerous down the left after his introduction, with Eze moving between the flank and central areas rather than remaining fixed against the full-back.
His involvement was crucial in the winning goal.
Eze helped release Riccardo Calafiori into space before the defender crossed for Saka to finish at the far post, as detailed in our Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal match report.
That cameo came from a player who already has substantial Premier League experience.
It is one of the reasons Neville believes Eze may be better equipped for a major match against Chelsea than a winger still adjusting to English football.
Arteta has a genuine Chelsea selection decision
There is another reason the decision matters.
Arsenal have significantly fewer natural left-wing options following the summer departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Tzolis was recruited to provide genuine width and goal threat from that side.
Eze offers something different.
He naturally drifts inside, links with midfield and can create overloads around the penalty area.
That flexibility could be particularly useful against Chelsea.
Supporters can find all the match details in our Arsenal vs Chelsea TV and live stream guide, while our latest Arsenal injury update will track Arteta’s available squad ahead of the game once the Chelsea injury piece is live.
Chelsea’s own midfield has changed dramatically following Enzo Fernández’s deadline-day move to Manchester City, something we examined in our feature on why Chelsea’s £125m decision presents Arsenal with a major opportunity..
Arteta therefore has an opportunity to reshape his own attacking structure at the same time.
Tzolis does not suddenly become a bad signing
Dropping Tzolis would not represent a verdict on his Arsenal career.
His opening performances have already shown why Arsenal wanted him.
Before the Villa match, Sky Sports highlighted his willingness to attack defenders, shoot and get into dangerous areas, while his early Arsenal displays suggested he could become an important part of Arteta’s attack. (Sky Sports)
Read Arsenal also examined why Tzolis can replace the qualities Arsenal lost with Trossard.
But Arsenal now possess enough depth to make selections according to the opposition rather than status or transfer fee.
That is precisely what Arteta did at Villa Park.
Tzolis struggled.
Eze entered.
Arsenal improved and won.
Neville expects Arteta to trust that evidence again against Chelsea.
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