Arsenal: Catching up with the January exits

Theo Walcott to Everton (£20M)

Another player whose career was beginning to stall at Arsenal ended his time in North London after twelve-years. Theo Walcott, like Coquelin, probably could have been used more liberally by Wenger during the first-half of the season. The Arsenal supporters had definitely gotten tired of the usual script with Walcott, but to completely ice him out of the first-team was unfair.

That being said, despite all of his successes, Walcott was due to leave. He moves to Everton, in a move that makes a lot of sense, and started hot, assisting Oumar Niasse in his début and scoring a brace in a 2-1 victory over Leicester City. His speed still makes him a constant danger and for a team like Everton under Sam Allardyce, he can be the counter-attacking threat that moves his team up the field into scoring positions. So far, he has been a bright addition for Everton and was named Man of the Match twice already, against Leicester City and Crystal Palace, per WhoScored.

At a new team with new fans watching him every week, he should be able to garner the appreciation he deserves. His time at Arsenal is synonymous with Wenger’s recent failures, and supporters were never going to give him the leeway to miss a chance or pass ever again.