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As Southampton prepares to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, there will be a fascinating curiosity: Would Theo Walcott now enter the Gunners’ starting lineup?
Walcott was effectively shown off by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in January 2018 when his first-team opportunities dwindled under the Frenchman who had signed him as a 16-year-old wonder kid from the Saints in 2006.
Such was his reputation that without even kicking a ball for Arsenal in the Premier League, he was one of Sven Goran Eriksson’s shocking inclusions for England’s World Cup team in Germany at the end of the year … before being fully Ignored throughout the tournament, even when the Three Lions lost Michael Owen through injury.
The England reference is important because it provides a good snapshot of your career. World Cup at his feet in 2006, destined for great honors and perhaps more than 100 international matches … but he would never go to a World Cup again.
However, it is unfair to say that the winger’s career has been a waste of potential. He played at Euro 2012, scored 47 highly respectable international matches with eight goals and scored one of the Three Lions’ best hat-tricks when they defeated Croatia in an impressive 4-1 victory during a World Cup qualifying match. World in 2008.
With Arsenal he enjoyed many first-team runs and ended his time at Emirates Stadium with three FA Cup victories and 108 goals in 397 appearances. There are many young footballers who offered that resume early in their careers and would certainly be happy to retire with that record.
The move from HI 2018 to Everton, however, had the feeling of being a player who is now descending after a period of great success at Arsenal, and this was at a time when the Gunners were also beginning to descend in the field. hierarchical order of the Premier League.
While he didn’t fail at Goodison Park, he also didn’t show any sustained form as evidence to convince anyone that Wenger was wrong to go ahead.
In fact, his name soon disappeared from the Merseyside club’s team card as well.
The first seven games of this season he made the starting eleven only once and that was in a League Cup tie against Salford. He was lucky to be a backup at times and played just 12 minutes of top-notch football before the Saints called him.
Then another perceived rung of the ladder followed, albeit with emotional ties, as she obtained a loan to return to St Mary’s in October.
However, the 31-year-old’s shares have risen again during a promising first couple of months at his first senior club and his form has arguably been the best in years.
Unless he is ineligible to face his parent club Everton, he has started all seven Premier League games for which he has been available, getting two assists and scoring against Wolves.
Nor is he just a brilliant talent on a poor team. Southampton are flying into the Premier League within the top four and could possibly finish the round of midweek matches alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Old problems have arisen, without the help of rust from lack of games for Everton, with his completion still not quite up to scratch, while his lack of positional awareness prevented him from having many opportunities to play the desired role of center forward. at Arsenal can still get in the way.
However, his pace at 31 remains incredibly menacing and, along with his drive to take on defenders, is a key asset to the Saints’ attack under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
In early introductions, the Saints boss will surely look to make a permanent raid for Walcott in the summer, if not January, such is the forward’s impressive impact on his second spell at the club.
Meanwhile at Arsenal, down at 15th place, there is a real struggle for a team whose only two Premier League goals in recent months have come from a penalty kick and a penalty corner.
When Walcott returns to the Emirates on Wednesday, he could be the most dangerous player on the field and in his current form he would walk straight into the Arsenal team again. A remarkable contrast of fortunes in just under three years.
Arsenal were not necessarily wrong in allowing Walcott to leave in 2018, but in a move that was made to try to get the club back in the top four in the long run, it says a lot about his demise that it is now Walcott who has the most. chances of winning. watch elite football again.
He’s settled into a club that gives him first-team soccer and is involved in an early battle for the top four … not one that glances over his shoulder regarding relegation.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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