Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Surprising Christos Tzolis odds hard to ignore as the Gunners head to Villa Park

Arsenal make the trip to Villa Park on Monday looking to make it two wins from two at the start of their Premier League title defence.

The champions head into the game in good spirits after beating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield and Coventry City by the same scoreline on the opening weekend, whereas Villa could hardly have made a worse start after being thrashed 4-0 by Brighton.

The Gunners are clear favourites at 5/10 (1.50) to claim another three points, with Villa priced at 21/4 (6.25), but there could be more appeal in the player markets.

Christos Tzolis has made an encouraging start since joining Arsenal from Club Brugge this summer, and his involvement in the champions' attacking play makes him an interesting option at Villa Park.

Christos Tzolis' shot volume makes the 3+ shots market worth a look

Tzolis was not shy about getting shots away on his Premier League debut, producing four attempts against Coventry, including two on target.

The Greece international was also heavily involved elsewhere in the final third, creating three chances and touching the ball eight times inside the opposition box. No Arsenal player had more touches in the box, while only Noni Madueke created more chances with four.

Villa will need to spend long periods without the ball if Arsenal reproduce the control they showed against Coventry, which should give Tzolis plenty of opportunities to get forward and test the hosts' defence.

With four shots already under his belt on his league debut, the 3+ shots line at 1.90 (9/10) looks like an appealing option for his first Premier League appearance at Villa Park.

Christos Tzolis' creative output makes him a threat in the assist markets too

Tzolis has offered plenty going forward, while his work in possession has already produced some useful moments for Arsenal.

The winger supplied two assists in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City and was involved in the build-up to both of Arsenal's first-half goals against Coventry, winning the ball high up the pitch before Kai Havertz opened the scoring.

For the second, Tzolis sent a low cross into the box which Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth could only parry into the path of Bukayo Saka, who made no mistake from the rebound.

Three chances created in that game added to the sense that Tzolis is not simply looking to finish moves himself, and there is plenty of evidence that this is a player who likes to take responsibility in the final third.

The 24-year-old also arrives with a strong record from his two seasons at Club Brugge, scoring 43 goals and providing 45 assists in 108 appearances across all competitions. 

That level of attacking involvement makes the 11/4 (3.75) price on Tzolis to register an assist another option to consider at Villa Park, particularly if Arsenal enjoy another dominant spell in possession.