TA: Zolis's performance in his five weeks with Arsenal has been outstanding, and his dribbling and attacking prowess has excited fans.

According to The Athletic, Arsenal's new signing Christos Zolis has impressed in the five weeks since joining the club, and his dribbling skills have excited the Premier League champions' fans.

Arsenal's 3-0 home win against Coventry on Friday may have only been Zollis' second official match in the red and white jersey, but his highly impactful dribbling has already thrilled the fans.

This 24-year-old Greek international has had one distinctive feature throughout his career: he has always been willing to create threats in the attacking third.

Zolis was born in Thessaloniki, a city in northern Greece, and came through the youth academy of his hometown club, Paok. He was only 18 years old when the pandemic broke out in March 2020. At that time, he scored 19 goals in 23 appearances for Paok's U19 team, but his rise was abruptly halted.

That summer, after the lockdown ended and football returned, first-team head coach Abel Ferreira and his coaching staff were struck by Zolis's aggressive runs towards the goal, a combination of direct attacking prowess and technical ability. Despite not being particularly tall, he was physically strong, qualities that gave the Paok coaching staff the confidence to give him his first-team debut in the Greek Super League championship playoff against domestic powerhouse Olympiacos in June of that year.

Carlos Martinho, who previously served as Ferreira's assistant coach in Paok, told The Athletic: "We recognized his exceptional talent when he was in the U19 team, and he has been training with us occasionally."

"The pandemic shutdown ultimately became the key factor because it allowed him to start training with us systematically every day. During that time, he clearly demonstrated that he had reached the level of a more experienced player. So when the league restarted and we put him in the starting lineup, he didn't feel any pressure. He handled it naturally because he already felt like a first-team player, an option we could rely on."

"Without that forced 'preseason preparation,' his breakthrough might not have been so quick and so obvious."

Zolis made his first-team debut as a teenager, a few weeks later in the Greek Cup semi-final against Olympiacos. Paok lost 3-4 on aggregate, but won the tournament the following season with Zolis's help, a season that began with a highly provocative individual performance.

Martinho recalled the Champions League qualifier against Besiktas, saying, "It was unforgettable to see that young player we had just promoted two months ago score two goals and provide an assist." Paok won the second qualifying match 3-1.

In the 7th minute, Zolis curled a right-footed shot into the top corner of the far post, scoring his first goal and heading straight for the bench to celebrate. In the 24th minute, he arrived perfectly in the six-yard box and scored with his left foot, making it 2-0. Less than half an hour later, he again delivered a first-time left-footed cross from the six-yard box, allowing opposing winger and captain Dimitrios Percas to easily tap in – a pass very similar to the one he provided on Friday to assist Saka's goal against Coventry City.

Ferreira told The Athletic: "Christos has a very strong mentality and executes every instruction we give him rigorously. He is one of our key players and has never stopped improving. Congratulations to him, his parents, the youth coaches, and Paok for believing in and investing in him."

"Now we've seen the result. I'm not surprised at all that his name is on Arsenal's radar."

Now 24 years old, Zolis's inner drive seems just as impressive as his sharp breakthroughs.

Martinho commented on Zolis: "Off the field, he was initially shy and reserved, but once training started and he realized we trusted him, he changed. What's fascinating is that once the ball started rolling, that shyness disappeared, and he displayed all his attacking aggression and focus, which is what makes him the special player he is today."

Former Newcastle United Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul crossed paths with the striker at Norwich City, marking Zolis's first major transfer to England. In August 2021, the 19-year-old Zolis transferred to newly promoted Norwich City for £10 million after a full first-team season; that season he scored 16 goals and provided 10 assists, winning the Paok Player of the Year and the Greek Super League Young Player of the Season awards.

Krull told The Athletic: “I have very fond memories of Christos. We always had a lot of fun. I tried to learn some Greek words in Duolingo and spouted some random stuff, which he loved.”

"It's not easy to come to a different country at 19. I've seen many talented players, and the key is how you deal with setbacks. Unfortunately, that experience at Norwich wasn't a success for anyone involved, but his subsequent loan spells in the Netherlands and Germany, and then his permanent move to Belgium, showed his resilience and that he doesn't shy away from hardship."

"Being able to get through all this, leaving home and friends so frequently, really tests one's mentality."

Zolis scored twice on his Norwich debut, helping the team to a 6-0 victory over Bournemouth in the League Cup. However, during the team's direct relegation to the Championship that season, he only made 3 of 14 league appearances, starting only three times. The presence of his Greek compatriot and former Paok teammate, Dimitris Gianniulis, made his time at Carrow Road a little easier.

The following summer, he joined Dutch team Twente on loan, but his statistics were mediocre. Later, while on loan at German second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf, Zolis rediscovered his shooting touch, scoring 24 goals and providing 8 assists in the 2023-24 season.

Zolis once said that he needed to regain his confidence during that period.

Krul said: "He met the right player at the wrong time and in the wrong place because he entered the Premier League too early, both physically and mentally. If your team isn't always in control of the game and is more counter-attacking, you need players around you to create space, but he always had three defenders around him."

"But I can't praise his professionalism enough. He always stayed behind to practice free kicks and shooting. Those free kick drills brought us a lot of joy. He would miss a lot, but when he scored one, he would celebrate as if he had scored 20 in a row."

Norwich's extra training sessions after regular practice have greatly benefited the teams he has played for since, and may bring even greater help to Arsenal this season.

In the 2025-26 season, Zolis made 52 appearances for Club Brugge in all competitions, providing 29 assists, 9 of which came from set pieces (8 corners and 1 free kick). Although Rice returned to taking corner kicks after the World Cup break, Zolis was already consistently able to handle the task during the summer friendlies; Arsenal scored 25 goals from set pieces last season, more than any other Premier League team.

Manager Mikel Arteta also saw the results of his years of hard work off the field since his time in Greece in Zolis' Premier League debut, which may further enhance the strength of the North London team.

When Paok began to emerge alongside Ferreira, the coaching staff placed great emphasis on Zolis's diagonal runs off the ball. They practiced extensively with him moving from the wing into the center and then back from the center to the wing—a scene reminiscent of the game against Coventry: he swam in from the left wing and found Saka in the penalty area.

Martinho said: "Christos' movements have always been very direct and very vertical. We try to take advantage of his strength in both feet and train him a lot in his ability to read the game during transitions, which he is extremely good at."

Besides his willingness to work hard to improve his skills, Zolis's character also left a deep impression.

Those who know Paok say he is extremely focused and very professional; in more private settings, Krull adds, "He's a very easygoing and fun guy."

"He's always been very smart and loves football. Back then, he was obsessed with dream football. He breathes for football and knows everything about all the players and teams. I also saw a video of him saying goodbye to Club Brugge, and the whole stadium was applauding him. That speaks volumes because it's not often that you can return to a club with dignity afterward."

In a post-match interview, Zolis mentioned that most Arsenal fans only realized he had chosen himself as captain in a fantasy football game after he assisted Saka's goal against Coventry City. When asked about this, Krul added, "That's just his sense of humor."

Five years after his first adventure in England, he now seems to have finally arrived in the right place at the right time.

Krul said: "He is a role model for many young talents of the new generation. Even if you are touted as a world-class talent, sometimes it takes time to fully realize your potential. He has not reached the finish line yet, but the fact that he has taken the step of joining Arsenal is a huge affirmation for him, and I am really happy for him."

“He’s a very smart boy, so he will stay grounded and keep working hard because he knows he hasn’t reached the finish line yet. Knowing him as I do, he will work even harder to move on to the next level.”