New signing Tzolis and prodigy Dowman shine in Arsenal's victory over Girona

Arsenal kicked off their summer pre-season with a comfortable but efficient 4-1 win over Girona.

This was also the Gunners' first match since their defeat in the Champions League final, providing plenty of positive signs for manager Mikel Arteta ahead of the new season.

Despite missing key players like Bukayo Saka or goalkeeper David Raya, Arsenal still fielded several notable faces, including Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres. However, the names that drew the most attention were on the left flank of the London club.

As European media focused heavily on other high-profile transfers, Arsenal's signing of Christos Tzolis was somewhat overshadowed.

The Greek winger joined the Emirates for a fee of around £34 million, becoming Arsenal's most notable signing of the summer transfer window, alongside goalkeeper Illan Meslier and the permanent acquisition of defender Piero Hincapie after a loan spell.

Tzolis was deployed as a starting left winger, a position Arsenal were still looking to strengthen after Leandro Trossard's departure. This meant the 24-year-old had little time to prove his worth, and the match against Girona was seen as a crucial opportunity to make his mark.

After a cautious start to probe the opposition's defense, Tzolis gradually showed confidence. A few of his shots were blocked, and his dribbles did not yield immediate results. Nonetheless, it was commendable that the Greek player constantly sought to make a difference with his runs and penetrations into dangerous areas.

That effort paid off just before the end of the first half. Tzolis cut inside from the flank and unleashed a decisive curling shot towards the far corner. The ball then deflected off Kai Havertz into the net, but the goal was still credited to Arsenal's new signing.

It was not a spectacular performance that constantly wowed the crowd, but Tzolis's proactive spirit and desire to create breakthroughs were qualities Arsenal lacked at times last season, especially against teams that sat deep in defense.

Arsenal's coaching staff believe the Greek player still has plenty of potential to develop further, but his display against Girona showed he can certainly put pressure on the regular starters in Arteta's lineup.

Alongside Tzolis, another name that received no less praise was prodigy Max Dowman. Despite being only 16, Dowman showed astonishing composure in dictating Arsenal's attacking tempo. At times, the young talent became the focal point of the team's forward moves.

Early in the match, Viktor Gyokeres seemed displeased when Dowman lost possession during a combination play. However, the young Englishman quickly regained his confidence. He played a clever through ball that put Kai Havertz one-on-one with the Girona goalkeeper, creating one of the most notable chances of the game.

In the second half, as Girona players deliberately dropped deeper and left more space, Dowman continued to make good use of the opportunities. He dribbled the ball close to the penalty area before unleashing a low, precise shot to score. Interspersed with those standout moments were a series of bold dribbles and highly creative passes.

Even more notable was Dowman's improvement in defensive support. Last season, his pressing intensity did not meet the rigorous demands Arteta placed on his wingers.

However, in this match, Dowman was very active off the ball, showing his determination to secure a place in Arsenal's first team. In the world of top-level football, the margin between success and failure is incredibly small, but Dowman is proving he is capable of meeting those standards.

Besides the aforementioned highlights, the match also saw the appearance of two previously forgotten names: Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Jesus. Vieira returned to Arsenal after a loan spell at Hamburg and made his first appearance for the club since the 2025 pre-season. Although he was on the list of players who could be sold this summer, the Portuguese midfielder was given a chance and played with great effort, especially in applying pressure on opponents, which contributed to Gabriel Jesus's goal.

However, Vieira played less than 30 minutes before being substituted, likely to avoid injury risk given that his future remains uncertain.

As for Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian striker once again displayed his familiar technical qualities with skillful touches and good dribbling ability. However, he also left the pitch in the 86th minute and will face fierce competition if he continues with Arsenal when the new season begins.