There has been a lot of media attention on the Arsenal and England international star Theo Walcott, especially today because it marks the 10th anniversary of his transfer from Southampton as a fresh faced teenager. And although some Arsenal fans and football experts will say that Walcott has not lived up to his potential, the report on the Arsenal website listing his achievements shows that he has been an excellent signing for the Gunners.
You may be surprised by some of the numbers, such as Theo being fourth on the club’s all time Premier League assist chart with 41, having the fifth most appearances under Wenger and being top of the charts for hat-tricks scored at the Emirates.
But on this anniversary week the forward could well find himself on the bench for the EPL match against Chelsea on Sunday. With Alexis Sanchez due back and with Giroud in good form in the central role, Theo is fighting Campbell and the Ox for a place.
I personally feel that the boss will start him for two reasons. This 10 year milestone should be a happy time for the player but it should also inspire him to really push on and add a great individual season to the one in which he finally gets his hands on the Premier League trophy.
In the same vein, Walcott will be well aware that despite finally convincing his manager that he can be a centre forward, the form of his rival striker Olivier Giroud is stopping him from getting the chances he wants in his favoured role.
The only way to change that is put in some top performances and force Wenger’s hand, so will we see the best of Walcott this weekend?