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Arsenal: Theo Walcott Faces Massive Test Against Swansea
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal will always face plenty of questions in their first match coming off of international break, but Theo Walcott faces the biggest question.
Arsenal returning from international break usually spells trouble. Will the momentum continue from before the break? Usually the answer is ‘no’. Something about taking a week off is so deflating and impossible to recover from. Plus, there was never anyone there to lift the team back up.
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This international break is going to be a bigger test than last because of the close proximity of the international matches to this club match against Swansea. We are potentially facing the absence of Alexis Sanchez, which, needless to say, is kind of a big deal.
In his absence, we have to find some sort of beacon of consistency. I am looking forward to seeing Lucas and Iwobi just as much as the next Gooner, but are they consistent enough to be relied on just yet? I don’t think so. They still have work to do to prove their consistency. Lucas hasn’t even been given his first big chance yet.
Who will step up and be that beacon?
As you can surmise from the title, I am suggesting the man who I once wanted out of the club more than Mikel Arteta – Theo Walcott.
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Walcott faces a test just as big as the test that Arsenal as a club face. Can he keep it going? It’s been another break. Arsenal always manages to waver after breaks, and Walcott may just be going with the flow of the team. Will that mean that, if the Gunner’s flow is stifled, Walcott’s will be too?
So far into the season, he has kept pace with Alexis in the goals department. This still defies my belief. I see his lack of usefulness like the boogieman. I’m convinced it is there, hiding away, ready to grab me at any moment. Although I have no proof of that.
Theo has to prove that he isn’t just riding with the flow of the team. He has to keep his own flow going. He has to show consistency, with or without the club. We have to see a return to his form nearly half a decade a go.
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The good news is, history would actually suggest that he can get there. He did it consistently for over three years, after all, so consistency does seem to be in his repertoire.