Issues within the Arsenal camp came to a head in December 2021 with disciplinary action taken against the skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. On Tuesday the 14th, the Gabonese International striker was stripped of the captaincy following a breach of protocols but this wasn’t the first time that he’d been in trouble.
Late returns and unspecified rule breaking have punctuated his career to the point where the Gunners have clearly had enough. The club will move on from Auba in captaincy terms but is his future as an Arsenal player also in the balance?
Misfiring Duo
Arsenal sat in a respectable position in the Premier League table at the time of his latest indiscretion but sixth place doesn’t quite tell the full story. The list of Arsenal top scorers shows that the team has been a little goal shy and that underlines the problems on the pitch.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has a return of seven goals from 15 matches at the time of writing and while that seems healthy, his shot conversion of 24% is low. In contrast, strike partner Alexandre Lacazette has a higher shot conversion rate of 36% but he has managed just six goals in 14 games.
Contributions from other areas of the pitch have kept the Gunners in touch with the top four but will those disciplinary issues involving Aubameyang be the catalyst that sees new personnel move in up front?
Arsenal Cling on to CL Hopes
Arsenal fans shouldn’t be discouraged: The future looks bright with young England internationals Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka continuing their impressive development. Mikel Arteta remains in touch with his aim of qualifying for the Champions League, even if the club aren’t getting a positive endorsement from the bookmakers.
The best football betting sites, as sourced by sbo.net show Arsenal as mere seventh favourites to secure a top four finish at the end of 2021/22. Ahead of them are the London trio of West Ham United, Spurs and Chelsea. Liverpool and the two Manchester teams complete the list of clubs with shorter odds than the Gunners.
A packed fixture list heading into Christmas and the prospect of more games in the New Year means that those markets will fluctuate in the weeks and months ahead. Sbo.net are on top of things and will report on any changes to the odds as they are published by the bookmakers.
As part of the overall service, readers can also take in stories relating to the Premier League which will include opinion and news updates. Visitors who would like to get involved with the available markets have the option of registering with one of those recommended sportsbooks if they wish.
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It’s a one-stop shop for football betting and it’s an interesting one to follow in all respects but what do Arsenal need to do in order to turn themselves into more attractive Champions League prospects?
What are the Alternatives?
As any transfer window approaches, Arsenal will be linked with new arrivals and January 2022 is no exception. Among the names in the frame is Fiorentina’s young Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic who has been setting Serie A alight this season.
Vlahovic has scored 17 goals in his first 18 games of the new campaign and that’s the kind of record that will attract all the big teams across Europe. Another Serbian, Luka Jovic, is currently on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt from Real Madrid as he continues his development.
Jovic tends to tuck in behind the main striker and his scoring record isn’t as prolific as his compatriot Vlahovic but he’s only 23 and has time to build on those returns.
Of the players with current Premier League experience, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the standout. 16 goals in 33 EPL games last season earned the striker an England call-up where he has scored four times in 11 international matches. Of all the names in the hat, Calvert-Lewin could be the most plausible.