Arsenal early Premier League favourites – players to watch   | OneFootball

Well, it had to happen didn’t it. No sooner were the pundits, bookies, and football fans in general, talking about Arsenal potentially going unbeaten this season and bringing back a new and updated version of the ‘Arsenal Invincibles’, they go and get destroyed 3-0 by Brighton.  

Fans of Premier League football are in for a long few weeks now, as we find ourselves gearing up for the first international break of the season. After a dismal display last weekend however, Arsenal fans will likely welcome this break as it will give them a chance to regroup, and will allow key players a chance to shine for their countries.  

Despite such a poor showing against Brighton, The Gunners are still in a very strong position, and despite slipping to 2nd in the table, they’re still strong contenders for another title. In fact, they are still favourites amongst most bookmakers, and when you look at the calibre of their players, it’s easy to see why.  

Arsenal Players to Watch this Season 

With odds of 1/1 with both BOYLE Sports and Ladbrokes, the bookmakers clearly still have faith in The Gunners for the rest of the season.  

But which players could prove instrumental in Arsenal’s title defence this season? Let’s take a look, shall we?  

Kai Havertz

Since joining Arsenal, proficient German forward/attacking midfielder Kai Havertz has had a somewhat frustrating time, due largely to injuries.  

Last season, the German netted 7 goals from 24 appearances. Compare that with the season before it, where he scored 15 goals from 36 appearances, and you can understand his frustration. Despite suffering injuries, he was still able to find the net on big occasions. He scored for The Gunners against PSG in the Champions League final, becoming the first ever German to score in two Champions League finals. He also scored in the Community Shield final, when Arteta’s team defeated Man City 3-0.  

As the German now returns to fitness, his precision passing, coupled with his two-footed ability, mean he’ll certainly be one to watch this season. With 2 Premier League goals from 5 matches, he also looks set to better last season.  

Bukayo Saka

Another player who has been instrumental in Arsenal’s title hopes has been England international, Bukayo Saka.  

Currently, Saka has netted 3 times for The Gunners out of 5 appearances, which has hopefully answered any questions that people may have had regarding his fitness following injury.  

Saka is a real handful for defenders due to his pace and accuracy. When he’s not slotting goals in, he’s usually whipping them into the box, as we saw for England during the World Cup, particularly during the Mexico game.  

Saka is a Gunner through and through. A product of their youth academy, he’s a testament to grass-roots football and emphasises everything there is to know and love about the beautiful game. It’s clear he loves playing for his team, and it shows each time he steps on the pitch.  

Although his last two seasons have been subdued by his standards, he’s on course to regain that infamous form of 2023/24, which almost secured them the title.  

Martin Odegaard

The current Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is another player to watch closely this season, for obvious reasons.  

Odegaard, who captains both Arsenal, and his beloved home country of Norway, is a real playmaker of a midfielder. Despite questions being raised over his role in the club, he’s gradually silenced his critics thanks to 2 goals from 5 games in the Prem.  

Does he score the most goals? No, but he’s about so much more than that. His passing is pin-point accurate, he’s racked up plenty of assists, and as he regains his form following injury, his linking up with Saka and Havertz is going to be crucial if The Gunners want to make it two on the bounce.  

Declan Rice

If there’s one plater that shone for England during the World Cup, that was not named Kane or Bellingham, it was Declan Rice. Despite dealing with a nagging injury (this seems to be a common theme for Arsenal) he was still able to put in some incredible balls and help England to reach the semis.  

Last season, many believe he was largely responsible for Arsenal securing the title, and honesty, it’s hard to argue with that assessment. A set-piece specialist through and through, Arteta’s squad looked absolutely lethal during set-pieces, and Rice’s balls being whipped into the box (stop laughing, we’re all adults here) were the reason why. It wasn’t always the most exciting style of play, but it helped them end the drought.  

Rice currently has 2 assists to his name, though you can rest assured that come Spring, that number will be much higher.