Arsenal fans will be starting to dream that this could finally be the season they take that leap from 2nd to 1st. With Crystal Palace next in the way, what are the odds that the run of wins will continue?
A few games ago, Crystal Palace looked like fierce opposition. However, a couple of bad results will give Arsenal fans even more confidence that they can overcome one of their London rivals. The odds back this up, too.
There are a few tantalising markets for this game and Betmaster is one of the new sports betting sites that are sure to give you great odds. Here we’ll see what the most tempting options are and see if Arsenal can keep the optimism flowing.
The Story So Far
At the start of the season, Arsenal came in for some unfair criticism. 10 points after five games and being 5 points behind Liverpool seemed like a big issue. However, two of those games were against Man City and Liverpool, with the other three being wins against Man Utd, Leeds and Nottingham Forest.
Since that point, Arsenal have gone on to win their next three games, with Liverpool losing their last three. Which once looked like a daunting 5-point deficit to Liverpool, very quickly became a 5-point lead over Man City.
With the Gunners perfect in the Champions League and safety progressing in the EFL cup, it has led to an overwhelmingly positive start. However, their next opponents had been flying high too before a recent stumble.
After being on a 19-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, an away loss to Everton and failing to beat Bournemouth at home has curbed some optimism. However, they are well-placed to have another good season.
What are Betmaster’s Match Odds Saying?
Arsenal are 1.43 (3/7) to win the match, while Crystal Palace sit at 7 (6/1), the draw has been priced at 4.4 (17/5). That makes Arsenal the clear favourites but due to Palace’s recent success, there is some good value there.
It makes putting Arsenal in an accumulator a tempting option, especially with some other big teams at a similar price point. Chelsea are 1.43 (3/7) to beat Sunderland and Newcastle are 1.63 (5/8) to beat Fulham. Chelsea and Newcastle are at home, with Liverpool priced at 1.73 (8/11) to win their away match against Brentford.
If you add in Man City to beat Aston Villa away at 1.88 (7/8), then you’d be getting an accumulator worth odds of 10.84 (246/25). Given that Arsenal fans won’t be shedding much of a tear if any of these big teams lost, it wouldn’t be the worst gambling loss in the world, as long as Arsenal still won, of course.
Where’s the Value in Betmaster’s Other Match Bets
With over 130+ match bets to choose from, there’s plenty of value that can be found. This is a game that often provides goals. More specifically, by both teams. Since February 1998, the teams have met 28 times. In 21 of those games, Crystal Palace have scored at least once. That is despite Arsenal winning 17 of those 28 games.
And in those 28 games, 11 times Arsenal have won when both teams have scored. That seems to be the value bet here. If you convert 11 in 28 games into decimal odds, it comes up with 2.55 (17/11). That makes Betmaster’s odds of 3.25 (9/4) extremely enticing.
As for other bets, Eberechi Eze to score anytime at 2.8 (9/5) seems tempting. Players always seem to have the knack of scoring against their former clubs. He’s yet to score in the league for Arsenal and I’m sure many Crystal Palace fans have an impending dread his first goal will be against them.
What This Game Means for Arsenal
It feels as though the landscape of the Premier League has shifted dramatically in the last few weeks. Liverpool started with 5 wins, but looked shaky in doing so, relying on last-minute goals. It now seems as though their luck has caught up with them. Man City don’t quite yet seem the dominant force they once were and are relying heavily on Erling Haaland.
With their following two games being against Burnley and Sunderland, the Crystal Palace game feels like the perfect opportunity for Arsenal to establish themselves as the dominant force in the league. Anything other than a win and it will not only knock their own confidence but boost their rivals in the process.
On the weekend Arsenal play Sunderland, Man City and Liverpool face up against each other. Before that, both teams need to play Aston Villa. The other game for Man City is Bournemouth, for Liverpool it’s Brentford.
It means in three games’ time Arsenal could have a commanding lead in the Premier League, which needs to start with beating Crystal Palace. History tells us that Crystal Palace may well score, but you wouldn’t bet against Arsenal scoring 2 or more, perhaps with an Eze winner.