Arsenal’s rise and stay at the top of the Premier League table has been in spite of a squad ravaged by injury, leaving key players out for lengthy spells and allowing for fuel to be added to the fire of expected failure.
Among those has been Theo Walcott, who not only looked to finally mature into a player that the club and supporters were waiting for last season, but also finished as the team’s top scorer across all competitions. That was achieved even with the spikiness of early last season, where the protracted contract saga saw Walcott on the fringes of the starting XI.
This new Arsenal – and we’ll call it that because it does feel new or at least different from seasons past – has been built on multiple layers. The first being the sturdiness and togetherness of the backline, with the excellent defensive displays of last season proving to be more than a flash in the pan. With the addition of Mathieu Flamini and the return to form of Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal have a more than solid defensive base with which to build their clearly identifiable attack upon.
Mesut Ozil is the catalyst. As one of the leading midfielders in world football, he’s raised the level of play at Arsenal while also giving others the confidence to express themselves to the standard which Arsene Wenger wants to see.
But the transformation from top-four team into a side who look the complete footballing outfit is a little shy of completion.
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Depth is one aspect that doesn’t really need to be touched on in too great a detail, but rather the variety of play and the final cutting edge to an attack that has made teams like Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund such formidable and attractive sides.
Does Theo Walcott deserve a place immediately upon his return? Well yes. He’s the key to making Arsenal’s play that little bit more unpredictable and that more dangerous on the counter. When possession teams move the ball about just in front of the opposition penalty area, as Arsenal are doing often this season, they need someone with the pace to break in behind the backline and help to turn that possession into goals.
Barcelona did it expertly under Pep Guardiola. Lionel Messi is of course quick, but the width and penetration offered by Pedro and vitally Dani Alves allowed Barcelona multiple avenues to goal. Possession football works well when you have the right personnel – as Barcelona and Arsenal do – but adding that extra dimension of pace is hugely important in stretching the play.
Walcott may yet to fully convince those up and down the country, but inside the Emirates his importance is fully appreciated.
Even prior to last season’s goal scoring exploits, Walcott proved vital in helping Robin van Persie to reach the scoring figures he did in his final seasons with the club. And then there’s evidence throughout Walcott’s career as to how much of a weapon his pace is, even against the best teams in Europe.
He changed the game against Barcelona at the Emirates with Arsenal down 2-0, eventually helping to secure a 2-2 draw. Against Milan and Liverpool a couple of seasons prior, he spearheaded Arsenal’s counterattack on the way to two goals, while in the league against Chelsea, Arsenal recorded a memorable 3-1 win at the Emirates with Walcott as one of the keys to the victory.
Mesut Ozil, importantly, saw a lot of joy with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema ahead of him at Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho’s successes in Spain were built on the not-so-popular counterattacking system with Ozil and Xabi Alonso as the architects. At present, Arsenal do not have that level of pace in the team to capitalise on Ozil’s ability to unlock a defence or spring a lightning-quick counter. Walcott’s inclusion will not only see Ozil benefit, and vice-versa, but Olivier Giroud too.
Arsene Wenger will find comfort in the return of Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott over the coming weeks. But while the German’s inclusion in the starting XI will force a lengthy debate, there’s no question as to how important Walcott is to the way Arsenal play.
Where does Theo Walcott fit in Arsenal’s plan?
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