As leagues take a break due to the international window, we look at players who were better for their national teams than in an Arsenal jersey.
Arsenal would have a long list of such players but in recent years, some players would surely make any list.
Nicklas Bendtner. The Danish sensation failed to live up to the hype in an Arsenal jersey but he has always been an incredible star for the national team. The European side is barely a top football nation but Bendtner hit 29 goals in 72 games. That’s a goal ration of 0.4 – a decent performance in the international scene.
Bendtner failed to prove himself for Arsenal and he had to be released on a free transfer eventually. He was released at Nottingham Forest also before he moved to Rosenborg BK in search of hope. While he is struggling to make the current Danish team, if he can show decent quality in the Norwegian league, he would surely be invited a least due to his legacy.
Andrei Arshavin is another player that deserves to make this list considering his performance at the 2008 European tournament. Coach Guus Hiddink praised his qualities, and the hype ensured Arsenal did not get him cheap. The Russian started well at Arsenal with a four goal thumping against Liverpool but failed to sustain such feats.
Lukas Podolski ended his international career with a spectacular goal against England but he could not replicate that form at Arsenal FC. The player, who was named the best young player at the 2006 World Cup and a World Cup champion in 2014, barely made his mark in Arsenal. He was drafted into the team following the departure of then skipper Robin van Persie but he could not deliver. He was different on the international scene.