Former Arsenal player and soccer pundit Martin Keown has said that Arsenal manager was right on sticking with Theo Walcott. The player has improved so much this term.
His turnaround has helped Arsenal in no small way as they have started the campaign well. Arsenal are currently joint leaders in the Premier League and are poised to lead their UEFA Champions League group ahead of French giant Paris St. Germain. They are still excelling in the EFL and FA Cup, posting a strong start across board this season
“It is down to a change in his attitude and application, which has brought him a greater end product – he has already scored more Premier League and Champions League goals than he did in the whole of last season.
“He has also increased his defensive work and has already made more tackles (14) in the league in 2016/17 than in the two previous campaigns combined (11),” Keown wrote on his BBC Sport column.
Walcott’s work rate doubled and the results show that Wenger made a good bet. The player has been at the Emirates for a decade, playing different roles until he decided to play a permanent role as a winger.
“I have to be in the team and I am going to do everything possible to be there,” Walcott said, showing his strong will this season. Since joining for £5 million in 2006, Walcott has gone on to make 214 starts, played 130 games from the bench, and scoring 93 goals in total. He was instrumental to Arsenal wining the 2015 FA cup – his only major honour so far.
Playing Alexis Sanchez as lead striker ahead of Olivier Giroud has helped Walcott’s chances this season. Mesut Ozil has been in impressive form since the switch too as they seem to have found a rhythm. The team needs to remain focused to achieve their aims this term.
