Gary Neville has urged Mikel Arteta to leave Christos Tzolis out of Arsenal’s starting line-up for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea and replace him with Eberechi Eze.
The advice follows Tzolis’s difficult first half in Monday’s 1-0 victory at Aston Villa, where the summer signing struggled to make an impact before being withdrawn at the interval. He was also booked for a foul on John McGinn before Arteta made the change.
Gary Neville backs Eberechi Eze to start for Arsenal
Eze took Tzolis’s place after the break and helped Arsenal produce a more forceful attacking display. The former Crystal Palace midfielder offered greater strength in possession and moved into central areas, while Bukayo Saka eventually settled the contest with the only goal.
Speaking on his podcast, Neville said the nature of the Chelsea fixture could persuade Arteta to turn to Eze from the start.
“It’s a big game and Mikel Arteta might just have to tell Tzolis, ‘I’m not going to put you into this one but watch this match,’” Neville said.
He added: “I would be stunned if Eze doesn’t play next week because he played really well in the second half at Aston Villa.”
Arsenal’s meeting with Chelsea is scheduled for Sunday, September 6, at the Emirates Stadium, with kick-off at 4.30pm.
Tzolis had previously made a promising start to his Arsenal career following his £34 million move from Club Brugge. He impressed during pre-season, supplied two assists against Manchester City in the Community Shield and made an encouraging contribution in the opening league win over Coventry City.
However, the performance at Villa Park has intensified competition for the position on Arsenal’s left flank. Eze’s greater Premier League experience and ability to withstand pressure could make him the more suitable option against Chelsea, particularly in a match expected to demand greater physicality.
A starting place for Eze would not necessarily represent a loss of faith in Tzolis, who remains an important part of Arteta’s plans. It would instead give Arsenal the chance to use the qualities that changed the game against Aston Villa from the outset.
