The new Artera era has brought a wave of hope to Gooners everywhere, but the reality is that real affected change takes time and serious patience.
A spate of three draws in the last five, a loss at home to Chelsea and a solitary shining moment of emasculating Man United at the Emirates (complete with clean sheet) have left Arsenal languishing in mid-table mediocrity in the Premier League.
But not all hope is lost, and we’re taking a look at some of the best odds available for the rest of the season for those discerning Arsenal fans who love to back their beloved Gunners.
Our best shot at silverware this campaign comes once again in the cups, but any reasonable fan wouldn’t have doubted that for a second, even from a pre-season vantage point. The Gunners are still in with a shot at the Europa League and the FA Cup. It brings a glimmer of hope to a season that is very much is beginning to look like stage one of a massive Arteta overhaul.
First up is the FA Cup with Bournemouth away next Monday. Arsenal have a decent recent record against Eddie Howe’s side, claiming seven points in the Premier League from their last four meetings.
Unsurprisingly, the odds are on Arsenal to make it to the next round at around 4/5 and get the better of the Cherries. For slightly better value at 5/6 bet365 are offering great odds across the board on all markets. With the bet365 sign up offer one of the most generous around it, it’s not a bad shout to back the Gunners with one of the world’s foremost betting sites.
Outright odds on Arsenal to be crowned cup winners for the fourth time since 2014 are currently at around 12/1, some way behind favourites Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as Spurs, Chelsea and even Leicester.
The next cup challenge is when the Gunners go up against Greek outfit Olympiakos next month when they resume their European campaign in the Europa League. Arsenal are currently favourites at around 5/4 to see off Olympiakos in the first leg away in Piraeus.
A difficult campaign that ended with a Europa League runners-up medal last time round hasn’t done much to favour Arsenal with the bookies. Backing Arsenal to go all the way will get you fairly favourably odds of around 10/1. In similar circumstances to the FA Cup, Arsenal trail behind the likes of Champions League also-rans Inter Milan, Ajax and Sevilla, with Manchester United being backed as favourites.
For the outright optimists among us, Betfair is currently offering a special on Arsenal to finish the season with a total of two trophies. A bet on the Gunners bagging the Europa League and the FA Cup will fill your pockets if it comes in at over 60/1.
Frankly, the more realistic supporters will likely set their sights away from an outright bet on overall squad success this season, and unsurprisingly there’s still value to be had. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is currently 14/1 on claiming the top goalscorer crown in the Premier League this season.
Heading towards the business end of the domestic campaign, that’s definitely not a shabby return considering he’s sitting three goals behind league leader Jamie Vardy who’s now an injury doubt. For a player who’s already finished top of the pops in his time at Arsenal, it’s not bad value at all.
Any Gooner who still fancies their chances on getting something from this year’s Premier League campaign might have more joy on a top-four or top-six finish. With rivals stumbling at almost every stage of the season, Arsenal still have a fair chance of finishing in a European spot. Odds on top four are currently priced at around 20/1, while a top-six bet is valued at a more realistic 4/1.
Whatever the weather, there’s still plenty of value to be had on the market if you’re an Arsenal fan looking to put your money where your mouth is and let’s hope it comes in!
