Six Arsenal stars in the running to win Euro 2024
Arsenal are still well represented at the 2024 European Championship in Germany, with six of the club’s players still in contention to lift the prestigious trophy.
The Gunners stars with England, Germany, Spain and France have progressed to the quarter-finals and are just three games away from the clinching the prize.
Given those four teams are at the top of the outright betting market, Arsenal should have at least one player who makes it through to the final.
Read on as we assess whether any Arsenal players will return home as a continental champion this summer, starting with the England trio.
England stumble over the line against Slovakia
It would be fair to say that England have not lived up to their tag as the bookmakers’ favourites to win Euro 2024 after producing several lacklustre performances.
Despite this, the bookies still rate them as 7/2 shots to get the job done and punters may view that as good value as they are in the so-called ‘easier half of the draw’.
Some bettors may even try here in an attempt to boost their bankroll before wagering on the Three Lions to emerge victorious in Germany.
Gareth Southgate’s side came close to exiting the tournament in the last-16 but somehow managed to scramble over the line courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Slovakia.
A late goal by Jude Bellingham sent the game to extra time before Harry Kane turned the tie on its head with the winner just after the restart.
Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was on the bench again, but Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka retained their places in the starting XI.
Rice struggled in the middle of the park despite being paired with Kobbie Mainoo, while Saka was unable to get much going on the right flank.
Despite this, they will fancy their chances of navigating past Switzerland in the quarter-finals this weekend and keeping their hopes of success alive.
Arsenal star delivers a defensive masterclass for France
France manager Didier Deschamp delivered a withering assessment of William Saliba ahead of the tournament, but the Arsenal star is proving him wrong in Germany.
After failing on several occasions to replicate his club form at international level, Deschamps singled out the centre-back for some stinging criticism.
“Saliba is playing a good season (with Arsenal),” Deschamps said (h/t Reuters). “But I see him alternating things which I like a bit less. With the French national team, he gets less playing time.”
“When he has got some, it hasn’t always gone well. I’m aware that I put him in a context that wasn’t always easy. The current pecking order doesn’t favour him, but he’s there.”
Those comments have sparked a positive reaction from Saliba, who has helped France keep three clean sheets in four games at Euro 2024.
He did a superb man-marking job in their last-16 tie against Belgium, keeping striker Romelu Lukaku under control throughout the contest.
Aside from one sloppy pass, the 23-year-old was excellent in possession and even came close to scoring during the second half.
Saliba looks nailed on to start the quarter-final tie against Portugal, where he will be tasked with keeping veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo quiet.
Germany and Spain set for blockbuster quarter-final clash
Kai Havertz played a key role as Germany eased past Denmark to book an eye-catching quarter-final showdown against Spain.
Havertz put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot to double his tally at the tournament and could have finished the game with a hat-trick with a bit more luck.
The Germans displayed the gritty mentality that has deserted them in recent major tournaments and they will be a tough nut for Spain to crack.
A delay for a severe thunderstorm did not derail Germany and they will undoubtedly have an eye on reaching the final in Berlin on July 14.
Standing in their way of place in the last four are Spain, who have reeled off four consecutive victories on their way to the quarter-finals.
They overcome the shock of falling behind against Georgia in the last-16 to claim an impressive 4-1 victory and have the talent to cause Germany plenty of problems.
Raya is unlikely to figure in the next game, with Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon currently the number one choice between the sticks.
The Arsenal stopper kept a clean sheet against Albania during the group stage but will probably spend the rest of the tournament on the bench unless Simon is injured.
Euro 2024 – quarter-final fixtures
Friday, July 5
- Spain vs Germany (Stuttgart, kick-off 5.00 pm)
- Portugal vs France (Hamburg, kick-off 8.00 pm)
Saturday, July 6
- England vs Switzerland (Dusseldorf, kick-off 5.00 pm)
- Romania or Netherlands vs Austria or Turkey (Berlin, kick-off 8.00 pm)
