[ad_1]
Theo Walcott provided a brutally honest assessment of Arsenal following Southampton’s draw with the Gunners on Wednesday night.
“I was very scared at Arsenal tonight to be honest,” Walcott said. “They are going through a very difficult time, you have to admit that they got the result tonight.”
“But it shows how far we have come that we are very disappointed that we came out without all three points. We went to this game with so much confidence, arrogance at times.
“The Emirates have changed, but I feel like they have the right man here for the job.”
Arteta was quick to downplay the comment, telling reporters: “He never mentioned that to me! If he said that, it’s his feeling.
(Image: Sky Sports)
It’s been a hectic season so far, so make sure you don’t miss a thing by signing up for the shiny new Mirror Football newsletter!
All the latest transfer news and great stories will come straight to your inbox. You will not miss it.
To register, put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions at this link.
“The boys came out in the second half, we scored a very good goal, we were up in the game and again we shot ourselves in the foot.
“I was very disappointed with the red card because at the time I was thinking about changing the center back immediately, we didn’t even have time to do that.”
“In the end we reached a point that considering the circumstances we have to accept.”
At first glance, Walcott’s comment doesn’t mean much. As for Arteta, the Saints forward’s comment is just that; a comment.
(Image: BBC Sport)
But the comments are remarkably similar to those that rocked the Gunners not long ago, ultimately leading to the end of Arsene Wenger’s tenure as chief.
The comments, delivered by Watford forward Troy Deeney, suggested there was a problem with the mindset of Arsenal players.
“I heard Wenger is already blaming that [the penalty] as the reason they lost, “Deeney told BT Sport in 2017.
“Well, I’m not one to tell Mr. Wenger about him, but the reason they lost was not because of a penalty. Having a bit of balls, I think so.
(Image: Peter Cziborra / POOL / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock)
“Whenever I play Arsenal, and this is just a personal thing, I go up and think ‘Let me hit the first one, then we’ll see who wants it.’
“I came today and jumped with [Per] Mertesacker – I didn’t actually even have to jump – nodded and the crowd rose. They all just backed away.
“For me as a player, I just think ‘Happy days. That’s my strength, so if you’re going to let me do that against you, you have a tough afternoon ahead of you.”
(Image: PA)
Arsenal have come a long way since Wenger resigned, but the Gunners are going through a very difficult period right now.
The north London club have won just four of 13 top flight matches this season, and Arteta must heed Walcott’s warning or he will follow the same path as his former boss.
Is Mikel Arteta in danger of being fired? Give us your opinion here.
* Subscribe to the Mirror Football email here for the latest transfer news and gossip.
[ad_2]
