Arsenal Win, but the Front Line Draws Scrutiny: Is Tzolis Worse Than Havertz?
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- Arsenal menang 1-0 atas Hull City dan memperlebar jarak enam poin di puncak klasemen setelah Manchester City kalah dari Nottingham Forest.
- Kai Havertz kembali tampil angin-anginan, sementara Christos Tzolis mengalami laga buruk dengan kehilangan bola setiap tiga sentuhan dan gagal dalam empat percobaan umpan silang.
- Konsistensi lini depan menjadi pekerjaan rumah Mikel Arteta, dan direktur teknik Andrea Berta disarankan mencari pemain depan baru pada 2027.
Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 win over Hull City, but the performance of their front line drew attention. The three extra points took The Gunners six points clear at the top of the table after Manchester City fell to Nottingham Forest on the same day.
The win did strengthen Arsenal's position, but Mikel Arteta cannot close his eyes to his team's attacking effectiveness. Kai Havertz, deployed as the spearhead, again showed inconsistency, while Christos Tzolis performed worse on the left side.
Havertz is known as a streaky forward. In the match against Liverpool last season, he was impressive, but that fine form rarely carried over. Against Hull's compact defense, his instincts in the final third were again questioned.
Arteta actually has another option, namely Viktor Gyokeres. However, the Portuguese striker is considered a poor fit for Arsenal's playing system due to his technical limitations. As a result, Havertz is likely to remain the first choice until January or even the end of the season.
On the right side, Noni Madueke performed well while replacing the injured Bukayo Saka. He even offered a different dimension compared with Saka. Unfortunately, Madueke's performance was not matched by Tzolis on the left side.
Tzolis, signed from Club Brugge for 35 million pounds, struggled to break through Hull's defense. Although he won seven duels and took four shots, he failed to make a real contribution. He was recorded losing the ball every three touches and did not once deliver an accurate cross from four attempts.
Arsenal observer James Clark judged that Tzolis had a "bad game" against Hull. According to him, the player was unable to make the right decisions and struggled to influence the course of the match.
Nevertheless, Tzolis had shown signs of a revival when facing Liverpool at Anfield. However, he declined again, similar to Havertz. Fluctuations in form like this are feared to hold Arsenal back from competing consistently at the highest level.
Tzolis does still have a role in Arsenal's project. He was recruited in anticipation of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard leaving at the end of the 2025/26 season. However, he is not a long-term solution for the front line.
Technical director Andrea Berta is said to need to step in to find a new striker in 2027. Names such as Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez have been linked, but no concrete steps have been taken. If Arsenal want to keep competing at the top, improving the quality of the front line is a necessity.
The question is, will the management move quickly in the transfer market, or instead stick with the existing options while hoping Havertz and Tzolis find consistency? The answer will determine the direction of Arsenal's season.
