Arsenal: Which Player Will Have The Best Euros?

The European Championships are on our doorstep with France kicking off proceedings on Friday, but which Arsenal player will have the best tournament?

As the Summer rolls on, international football comes a calling, and this year, there is one of the most eagerly anticipated European Championships in recent memory. While defending champions Spain will fancy their chances, World Cup winner Germany will be hoping to emulate their success of two years prior and as host nations France will be expectant of a big performance, ultimately, this competition is as open as it has ever been.

There are a host of different teams that feel with a little bit of luck, the draw to fall the right way that they could have a significant impact on the competition on the whole, and potentially cause a shock win circa Greece 2004.

It is looking to be an exciting tournament for many reasons, but purely from an Arsenal perspective, there are three players in particular that could potentially light up the tournament.

The first, and perhaps most obvious, is the man who is not only the heart and soul of the Arsenal team, but also a central cog in a side that were truly imperious in winning the World Cup only two years ago. Mesut Ozil is a truly wonderful player.

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The way he glides through games, prodding and probing opposition defenses, patient with the ball, always moving off it, Ozil is a joy to watch. He exploits the nuances of the game, the ebbs and flows of momentum are often influenced so heavily by his mesmeric passing. He is always in control, an awareness that transcends his own game. The attacking midfielder is a world class talent and could be the tournament’s very best player.

While it is likely that Ozil will gain most of the plaudits from the Arsenal squad, a player who is entering the tournament in great form is Olivier Giroud. While the front man was booed when he played in a friendly only two weeks ago for host nation France in a win against Cameroon, a game in which he scored in, he then scored another two in a 3-0 win over Scotland, cementing his goalscoring form as the Euros draw clear.

Moreover, with Karim Benzema’s controversial exclusion, Giorud is the clear starter for France. Not only is he in great form, but he will likely have the playing time to heavily influence the whole competition. In fact, while I would expect Ozil to fly Arsenal’s flag of quality, Giroud could very well be the top goalscorer come the final.

The final Arsenal player that could have a genuine impact is England midfielder Jack Wilshere. The perennially inured midfielder was unfancied by many to make Roy Hodgson’s squad only a month ago. However, great performances for England in the qualification process built up positive credit with Hodgson such that the England manager was willing to take a risk on his fitness.

And that is the key factor that could well determine the effect that Wilshere has on this tournament; his fitness. If match sharp, he could very well force his way into a talented starting England eleven. If he then performs as he was during qualification, he could flourish over the coming month, becoming one of the best players in the tournament altogether.

While I would be surprised if Ozil is not Arsenal’s best player at this Summer’s Euros, certainly do not count on Giroud on his current form. It is a long shot for Wilshere to have a significant impact on the competition, but if he can prove his fitness, he does have the quality to do so.

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One of the most exciting parts of an international tournament is watching your club players play in a different jersey. Well, this Summer Arsenal have three, among others, excellent flag bearers and it will be interesting to see how they all fair over the coming month.

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