As part of the new Arsenal Review site, we have several expert punters who will contribute to the “betting previews/tips” part of the site where they will give their advice on upcoming bets that you should be aware of. Today we have a look at this seasons “Top Gun” - who will be Arsenal’s top scorer this season?
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R Van Persie 11/10
Eduardo 5/2
A Arshavin 7/2
N Bendtner 15/2
T Walcott 12/1
C Fabregas 28/1
C Vela 40/1
Prices taken from Paddy Power. Win only.
With no Adebayor at the Emirates anymore, the role of main striker appears to be up for grabs. The bookmakers are making Robin Van Persie favourite, and a worthy favourite he is too. Van Persie is the type of class forward and quality that a squad like Arsenal need. He’s flamboyant and skilful, and full of flair. And he can score goals. He grabbed 20 goals last season and should be expected to score a similar amount this season. He’s not a player who relies on service — he can create his own goals. He can find space, he can score from inside or outside the penalty box and can score from dead balls. He is a worthy 11/10 favourite to be Arsenal’s top scorer this season.
However, you get the feeling that another top-class forward is needed to compliment Van Persie.
Perhaps the highly regarded Marouane Chamakh, who appears to be close to a move to the Emirates, is the right man for the job. In the You Tube clip found elsewhere on this website, he looks strong, powerful and full of pace. He can score with both feet and is tremendous in the air. He looks to be a player of quality.
If the transfer goes through, time will tell how good he really is. Can you imagine the likes of Theo Walcott, Andre Arshavin, Nasri and Rosicky whipping crosses in for him, and playing through balls for him to run on to? He could be a revelation for the squad’s championship chances if he can grab 15 to 20 goals.
Eduardo is the second favourite at 5/2 to score most goals for Arsenal this season. The Croatian international suffered a very bad leg break last year which completely scuppered his chances of a prolonged run in the team. However, he still managed to score three FA Cup goals and made a couple of bright Champions League appearances. In the 2008/09 season, he scored four Premier League goals, 12 in total that season. There is no doubting Eduardo’s potential and there is no doubting Eduardo’s quality but it would be foolish for Wenger to rely on him alone to lead the line alongside Van Persie due to his lack of top flight experience. A decent run in the team could really pay dividends for Eduardo and he could prove to be a really useful striker at this level.
Arshavin is priced by Powers at 7/2 to be Arsenal’s top scorer this season. Whether he can regularly hit the back of the net remains to be seen. He scored in three games for the Gunners last season, and all three times Arsenal ended up scoring four goals. Of course, he scored all four in a thrilling 4-4 draw with Liverpool at Anfield. A way I judge the abilities of professional football player is how well they play when their team is losing or up against a team of equal or superior quality. Arshavin’s first goals for Arsenal came in relatively easy wins: 4-0 against Blackburn and 4-1 against Wigan.
However, the four he scored against Liverpool were brilliant. He was easily Arsenal’s best player that night and took his goals with aplomb. Is he consistent or were those goals merely lucky? His 51 goals for Zenit St Petersburg in 238 games is impressive enough, especially for a player who does not regularly play as as striker. In fact, it’s his versatility that is most valuable. He can play as a winger or supporting the main striker in a playmaking role. There is no doubting his abilities either. He was by far Russia’s best player at the European Championships last year. Arshavin has the pedigree to succeed, and if he scored 12 to 15 goals this season, he can chalk the 2009/10 campaign as a success.
Nicklas Bendtner is priced at 15/2 to be Top Gun this season. I’ve always had my doubts about his ability at the highest level and I think 15/2 is over-valuing his ability to be top marksman at the Emirates. Even when he dropped a division to play on loan at Birmingham, he hardly set the Championship alight. In fact, his 11 goal return in 42 games is pretty harmless. He is not worth backing financially and should be used by Wenger mainly as an impact player at best. If he manages to score 10 goals this season, he’ll be doing well.
On a side note, Adebayor is the same price to be the Premier League’s top scorer since his transfer to Manchester City. The bookies are rating his chances of scoring the most goals in the Premier League as the same as when he was receiving service at the Emirates, around 28/1. One would not expect the service to be as good in a City team that will take time to gel. Surely 28/1 represents poor value for Adebayor to be goal king this season.
My recommendation is to lump on Van Persie. As Arsenal’s main striker, he will undoubtedly play the most games and get the most chances. He represents the best value to collect as Arsenal’s top goalscorer this season though at 11/10, the bookies aren’t giving much away.
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