Viktor Gyokeres has heaped praise on one of Arsenal’s summer signings but has dismissed any notion that they are the favourites to win the Premier League.
Following their impressive Community Shield win over Manchester City, the Gunners begin their title defence against Championship champions Coventry City on Friday night.
In Cardiff, Mikel Arteta handed a debut to £75million summer signing Bruno Guimaraes who performed well, but it was fellow debutant Christos Tzolis who really caught the eye.
The Greek winger provided two assists, carrying over his good form from pre-season and from Club Brugge, where he recorded 22 goals and 29 assists last season.
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No player in Europe set up more goals last season, prompting Arteta to splash £34m on the former Norwich star, and Gyokeres reports that Tzolis is settling in nicely at the Emirates.
‘He’s a top guy. He’s a very nice guy outside and of course a very good player on the pitch,’ the striker told talkSPORT.
‘He contributes a lot and he’s very good in his decision making. In the final third, he makes good decisions there and managed to get a lot of goal contributions.
‘That’s what every team needs and of course everyone that plays in our team wants to do that when they’re on the pitch and if he does that, it’s only good.’
With nearly all their main rivals changing managers and undergoing rebuilds this summer, Arsenal have been installed as the clear and early favourites to retain their title in 2026/27.
But Gyokeres does not believe his team have gone from ‘the hunters to the hunted’, and insists anything can happen this season: ‘Everyone starts on zero points.
‘I think it doesn’t matter what they’ve done last season or the season before that or whatever. It’s a new season; it’s the same for everyone.
‘Everyone’s going to play the same amount of games. So, we have to do it all over again.
‘We don’t have to defend it, we just have to win as many games as we can and then hopefully, we’ll be there in the end again.’
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