Ødegaard, Tzolis, Arsenal, and why it could be a long season for Premier League clubs

Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield triumph over Manchester City suggests Mikel Arteta’s strengthened squad, led by Martin Ødegaard and Christos Tzolis, is primed to defend the Premier League title and potentially begin a new era of dominance.

There are no limitations to the excitement of those in red at the Community Shield final on Sunday, but it is a sign of crazy hours that await the Premier League clubs ready to challenge their king, who is well prepared to establish a dynasty.

Not every day do you get spanked 3-0 in a final, and if it being Enzo Maresca’s first real test as Manchester City boss is enough of a consolation, it is also fair to recall that this is the same man who stood up to Arsenal in his three meetings at Chelsea, and this time, at a club of bigger stature, with more at stake.

Mikel Arteta has been building at Arsenal for a long time, but rewards were denied until recently, and that didn’t just hand them what they deserved after three consecutive second-place finishes; it also sent a message that a new ruler is in town.

Pep Guardiola pulled off a rare January move by signing the top two players in the league outside the big six clubs as he desperately attempted to deny Arteta and bow out on a high, but he fell short by seven points in the endand realized that the ovation may never be higher as he made away with both domestic Cups.

Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Manchester City is evidence that what they have been building for years is finally fully functioning, and with Martin Ødegaard and Chritos Tzolis, they definitely have the missing sparks that delayed their coronation last season.

Ødegaard, Tzolis, and a deadly Arsenal

Martin Ødegaard: The return of the leader

Arsenal didn’t enjoy their captain last season due to a series of injuries; although the quality was there whenever he took to the pitch, the spoils of the injuries never really made him deliver the kind of displays he was always known for.

Nevertheless, he did assist six Premier League goals, of which no Arsenal player had more, while only a few players had more expected assists per 90 minutes.

He also assisted the crucial lone winner at West Ham United in a classic Martin Ødegaard play only he could pull off, proving why Mikel Arteta has nothing but high praise for him despite constant criticism from the media.

Ødegaard took his game to a different level at the FIFA World Cup in the summer, where he captained and helped Norway to the quarter-finals, becoming only the third player in the tournament’s history to register an assist in each of their first three appearances.

He finished the tournament with four assists, including one in the quarter-final loss to England, with only France’s Michael Olise having more than him at the North America tournament.

Ødegaard has always been one of Arsenal’s best players since joining from Real Madrid, and that brilliance they missed last season will hopefully return if injury permits this campaign, and could be set to get even better.

Christos Tzolis: The Consistent Productive Factor

Arsenal struggled in attack last campaign. Even though only Manchester City scored more in the league, there was no denying that they were not really at their best in the final third.

The 71 league goals don’t suit a team that has scored 91 and 88 in recent campaigns where they failed to win the league title, but understandably the consistent injuries to their creative sparks restricted their flow.

However, Christos Tzolis could be the answer to that, and if his reputation and pre-season form are anything to go by, Arsenal may have signed the real deal despite missing out on what could have been a landmark deal for Vinicius Junior.

Only Harry Kane (52) was directly involved in more club goals than the Greek last season, with his 22 goals and 29 assists placing him only second with 51, while no players surpassed his assist tally.

He has hit the ground running since touching down in London, with assists in games against Preston North End, Real Betis and Dortmund, while he was also on the scoresheet against Girona. He has never blanked in an Arsenal game where he played at least half an hour.

His brace of assists in the Community Shield win over Manchester City also solidified his reputation that he isn’t just a fluke, and should he take that into the season, Arsenal will indeed become unstoppable.

Arsenal: A Team Gearing for Dominance

After a summer where a host of their star men were heavily involved in the FIFA World Cup, there were concerns that Arsenal may suffer the hangover when the new season gets underway, but the display in Cardiff showed there is no cause for alarm.

William Saliba, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka were all excluded from the starting XI, while Jurrien Timber was also missing in action as he recovers from the knee injury that forced his withdrawal from the Netherlands’ squad.

Evident from the pre-season games, Myles Lewis-Skelly has continued with the form that earned him a starting spot in last season’s run-in and should start their Premier League opener against Coventry City on Friday.

The Spanish duo of Martin Zubimendi and David Raya may have won the FIFA World Cup tournament with Spain, but were barely involved, while Mikel Merino remains a standby having played a crucial part, although with limited minutes.

Mikel Arteta will head into the season knowing he can afford to bench Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka while having a very strong selection, a fortune he didn’t have last season, especially with Declan Rice.

Not only has the signing of Bruno Guimaraes strengthened the team, but Mikel Merino also missed much of last season, while Myles Lewis-Skelly has finally earned the right to be considered a significant player in the squad.

In stars like David Raya, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal have arguably the best players in their positions as far as the Premier League is concerned.

Adding the form of Martin Ødegaard since the start of the summer and the reputation of Chritos Tzolis, the Londoners have enough in their Arsenal to establish a dynasty that will define this era.

A lot of eyes have also been taken off Martin Zubimendi due to his drop in the run-in last season, but he is still the same player who helped Arsenal become champions and will return this term after getting the needed rest.

Arsenal have only managed to bring in Chritos Tzolis as an attacking addition, but in Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, and Bukayo Saka to some extent, they would be having players who were restricted by injuries last season.

Conclusion

Football isn’t mathematics, and the best teams do not always emerge, especially with a lot of unforeseen incidents bound to happen during the course of the season.

Nevertheless, in a 38-game season under standard conditions, the Gunners should waltz their way to the Premier League title, and anything less should be considered a disappointment from Mikel Arteta.

With Pep Guardiola gone and the quartet of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and City all taking in new managers, it further solidifies Arsenal’s chances of not just retaining their Premier League crown, but going on to dominate the league for at least half a decade.