Do Not Sell My Personal Information
UEFA Euro 2024 is finally underway, and what a start the tournament got off to. Hosts Germany raised the curtain against Scotland on June 14th, and they announced to the rest of the continent that they were genuine contenders. They demolished the Tartan Army, triumphing by five goals to one in Munich in one of the most one-sided games in the history of the European Championships. A total of 51 games will be contested over the next month with the Berlin Olympiastadion hosting the final on July 14th, and here are five Arsenal stars that hope to feature in that showpiece contest before returning to North London for preseason.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, & Aaron Ramsdale
England are the favourites for glory this summer, and crucial to their success are two Arsenal stars, as well as goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who will play a bit part role behind number one Jordan Pickford. The two Gunners that are expected to start every game for the Three Lions are, of course, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.
Talented young Saka has been nothing short of a revelation for both club and country. His performances in qualifying have shown maturity beyond his years, and he is expected to be a crucial element in England’s quest for European glory. He shot to prominence for his country at Euro 2020, surprisingly starting all of England’s crucial fixtures, ahead of the likes of Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho. Despite missing the all-important penalty against Italy in the final, he didn’t look out of place under Southgate and went on to solidify his spot in the first team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Declan Rice, meanwhile, has been an ever-present fixture for England for some time now. Much was made of his move to the Gunners last summer, with many gawping at his £100m price tag. However, he has gone on to have a blistering maiden campaign at the Emirates, winning the club’s Player of the Year award and taking them to within a whisker of a first Premier League crown in two decades.
Unfortunately, that didn’t materialise, and now the eyes of both Saka and Rice are on Germany. Both are expected to start for the Three Lions and after a favourable draw, many expect them to have as good a chance as anyone at going all the way.
Jorginho
Jorginho’s experience and composure made him a vital cog in Roberto Mancini’s Italian side three years ago. He started every game as the Azzurri shockingly claimed the crown with a penalty shootout victory against England at Wembley. Now, Mancini has since moved on and former Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti is the new man at the helm.
The former Chelsea midfielder may well have lined up alongside Sandro Tonali for the Italians this summer, but the Newcastle midfield has been suspended from all football activities due to breaching gambling rules. The 24-year-old enjoys gambling but cannot wager on Euro 2024 directly if he wants to serve his suspension and return to play without complications. Instead, he can turn to football-themed online slot games, which offer the same thrill, while adhering to betting regulations.
Leading companies have capitalized on the European Championships’ excitement by introducing various football-related slot games, such as Ignition Casino, which has plenty of games available. Many of their games have both proven to be hugely popular, bringing punters closer to the beautiful game than ever before. Although Tonali is unable to bet on the Euros or star alongside Jorginho for the Azzurri in Germany, he can still enjoy these games while he waits to make his return.
For Arsenal’s veteran midfielder, he hasn’t played a key role at the Emirates over the last 12 months, but he is still a crucial part of the national team. Italy has been drawn into Group of Death alongside Spain and Croatia, and he will have to be at his very best if he is to lead his team to back-to-back finals.
Kai Havertz
Many laughed when Arsenal paid £65m to archrivals Chelsea last summer to secure the services of Kai Havertz, feeling that the North London outfit had been robbed. However, it is the former Bayer Leverkusen man and his adoring new public that has had the last laugh. The German international has had a stellar campaign, bagging 14 goals in all competitions, as well as a further seven assists, and he has already stolen the headlines in the Euros as well.
Havertz bagged Germany’s third in that 5-1 drubbing of the Scots, and Die Mannschaft looked like a formidable outfit. They were already the third favourites for glory, but their odds have now been slashed drastically. With home support on his side, there’s a very real chance that Arsenal’s number 29 will march towards Berlin and lift the trophy on home turf.
Image Source: unsplash.com
