Former England stars, Michael Owen and Martin Keown have asked Mikel Arteta to drop Arsenal’s new signing, Christos Tzolis against Chelsea on Sunday.
They believe that Eberechi Eze ‘outperformed’ Tzolis during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, suggesting that the England international has earned the opportunity to start against Chelsea.
Arsenal managed to break through a determined Villa defence in the 59th minute when Riccardo Calafiori delivered a cross to Bukayo Saka, who managed to scramble the ball into the net from close range.
Tzolis, Arsenal’s £34 million summer acquisition from Club Brugge, found it difficult to make an impact against Matty Cash in the first half.
Eze came on as a substitute for the Greece international as Arteta aimed to inject some much-needed energy into the left side.
The change proved to be a tactical success, as Eze rose to the occasion from the outset and delivered a precise pass to Calafiori in the build-up to Saka’s goal at Villa Park.
Arsenal secured all three points from a hard-fought contest to maintain their perfect start to the season.
The reigning champions will be eager to continue their momentum when they face their fierce rivals Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
Owen said on Premier League Productions: “It will be intriguing to see if Eze retains his position against Chelsea this weekend. I would suggest he might.
“He certainly contributed more than Tzolis in today’s match, so I believe he could be in line for a starting role against Chelsea in what promises to be an exciting game to kick off the season.”
Martin Keown added that the England international was an ‘improvement’ over Tzolis upon his introduction.
He said: “Without a doubt, [Eze’s entry was significant]. You need players you can rely on.
“With Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard departing the club from that left side, Christos Tzolis has come in.
“Not nearly the performance from him [Tzolis] that we saw in the first match [against Coventry], but Eze gives you that option on the left-hand side.”