Short layover in Zurich to London possible?

It's a tight connection no matter what, but your specific situation will depend a lot on:

• where you are sitting on the inbound flight, although in many situations deplaning occurs thru both front and rear doors
• whether you can use automatic gates for passport scan (I believe you will need a passport check). If you are US citizen with biometric passport, probably yes.
• train to E gates. It is efficient, but another step in the process.

If it's all on one ticket, then you will be rebooked on next flight if you miss the connection.
If it's on two separate tickets, then you may have to run.
If you're the kind of person who wants to research in detail, here's an option:
Flyertalk thread

Is it all one ticket?

You will go through passport control since you are departing the Schengen area.

Pre-pandemic I had a flight with a one-hour connection time at Zurich. My flight was Berlin to Zurich on Lufthansa and Zurich to Dulles on United. My flight arrived about 10 minutes late and I got through passport control and to the gate in time to board. My checked luggage also made it on the flight. Zurich airport is very efficient so it is possible to make the connection but you won’t have time to stop for the restroom or to buy a bottle of water.

Why not take one of the direct flights?

I found there are 14 per day Athens to London ( random date in April)
Found 9 per day in Feb.

whether you can use automatic gates for passport scan [...] If you are US citizen with biometric passport, probably yes.

Quoting https://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/en/passengers/fly/all-about-the-flight/border-control :

"At Zurich Airport [...] You may use automated passport control if you:
[...]
have a biometric passport/e-passport (not an ID card)
are a citizen of Switzerland or an EU/EEA country

If these do not apply to you [...] you can still use the staffed counters at passport control."