Some sporting institutions boast a passionate fan base even during tough stretches. Arsenal is an excellent example of such support, as the club has gone almost two decades without the English Premier League. After a hot start to the 2022/23 season, the stars seem to be finally aligning. Arsenal fans can bet on the English Premier League on BC.GAME even as the season progresses.
In the weeks leading up to the World Cup in Qatar, English Premier League pundits wondered whether the World Cup would affect the momentum some teams had gathered before the tournament. It was a very unusual event in traditional football seasons, with matches usually happening until May before the season ends. One of the teams that many were looking at was Arsenal.
Arsenal’s hot start to the season
As the 2020/21 season was drawing to a close, Arsenal fans had little to clutch on. Their team had finished eighth with no trophy that season. Even in the worst seasons under legendary manager Arsene Wenger, they could almost always eke out a fourth-place finish. The new coach, Mikel Arteta, would have been facing the sack had he not won a surprise FA Cup the season before.
He also feuded with his biggest star, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. There was little to be optimistic about that summer, even as the club seemed to bet its entire future on unproven young players.
Fast forward two seasons later, and the bet seems to be working out. Arsenal has forty-four points out of a possible fifty-one and sits five points clear at the top. Typically, a team that sits at the top of the Premier League on Christmas day goes on to win the league. Young players like Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Emile-Smith Rowe, and William Saliba are now some of the league’s best players, delivering solid performances each week.
The addition of Gabriel Jesus in the summer also injected some dynamism into the side. He started hot, scoring four in his first few games and setting the momentum for what was to come. Jesus got injured in the World Cup, but it has had no effect on the Gunners, who are still rolling through teams.
Hopes for a first title since 2004
The season will get to its business end in about three months. If Arsenal can hold out, it will be their first triumph since 2004. The Gunners came close in 2008 before a devastating injury to one of their star players, Eduardo Da Silva, derailed the season, with Manchester United winning the title. This is a new generation keen to go one better than similar exciting teams that have come short.
Legendary manager Arsene Wenger had to guide the team through the next thirteen seasons on a tight budget as construction of the Emirates Stadium was ongoing. Regardless, he perennially built exciting teams that managed a number of cup victories, but the league title remained elusive. He eventually left in 2018 after a few underwhelming seasons. The club appointed Spanish manager Unai Emery, whose tenure was tumultuous before he was sacked two years later. Mikel Arteta has held the reins since and looks to finally reward the club’s faith in him.
The ever-looming Man City threat
If Arsenal falls short, the team most likely to usurp them is Manchester City. Spanish manager Pep Guardiola has set a new standard in the English Premier League, winning four of the last five league titles. His team plays a dominant style of attacking football and goes on ten- or fifteen-game winning streaks in the middle of a season. Such incredible performances have been rewarded with domestic trophies. Man City still has to conquer the European stage to be on par with some of the greatest teams ever, but there is no doubt that they are on that level, or even better, on pure ability.
Even after an inconsistent start, Man City sit only five points behind Arsenal and will face them twice before the season ends. They have the experience to endure a battle of attrition, having been taken to the last game of the season by Liverpool in both the 2018/19 and 2021/22 seasons.
Therefore, there is still all to play for, even as the season gets to the halfway mark. Arsenal has a young team that has yet to have the kind of tests the City team has endured.
Liverpool FC has fallen slightly in the season’s first half. Heavy-spending Chelsea is even worse, sitting 19 points behind the leaders, and will be lucky to finish in the top four. Manchester United have had a decent run of late, but a combination of a rookie manager and a squad in transformation could place a ceiling on their ambitions. Therefore, Guardiola’s team may be the only real opposition to the Gunners’ march toward the title.
Bet on the Premier League on BC.GAME
The English Premier League is the biggest league in the world for a reason. Hundreds of millions of fans globally will be watching keenly as the remaining matches unfold. Arsenal has a solid local and international fan base, and they will be hoping for a happy ending after years of heartbreak. The next few matches will be crucial in deciding whether this will be a coronation or a dash to the finish.
BC.GAME is your destination for betting on the Premier League. Arsenal has a knack for winning games and is one of the safe bets throughout the season. Multiple soccer betting markets available in individual games provide additional opportunities for sports betting fans. It will be fascinating to see how Arsenal will finish the season.
