Theo Walcott says Arsenal are determined to get their title challenge back on track by avenging their Boxing Day hammering at Southampton.
The Gunners haven’t recorded a win in the Premier League for a month and know that three points are vital on Tuesday night if they’re to keep up the pressure on top two, Leicester and Manchester City.
Reflecting on the threat posed by Ronald Koeman’s in-form squad, who ran out 4-0 winners at St Mary’s, Walcott spoke of the need to defend well.
“We need to be aware of their threat going forward,” he told Arsenal Player.
“How they press from the front is very good and as soon as we get past that first press, I’m sure we can cause all sorts of problems with the attacking threat we have.
“We need to put this right. We haven’t won for a couple of games in the league so we need to get back to winning and make things right.
“It’s going to be a tough game, as every game is, but there’s a lot on this one.”
Walcott’s wariness is echoed by Arsene Wenger who says his defenders will have to shackle the threat of Southampton’s attackers, led by new boy Charlie Austin.
Austin, who signed from QPR last month for £4 million, marked his debut with a headed winner as a substitute at Manchester United.
“I was surprised that he wasn’t bought sooner and that he was quite a bargain when you look at his price,” the manager said of Austin’s switch.
“He made the difference when he came on against Manchester United on a corner.
“Charlie Austin can score goals and he is another player who has come out of the lower leagues and has done extremely well.
“Southampton are a team who has the quality, because they also have players like Tadic, Mane, Shane Long and Pelle, who are very dangerous going forward. For us it’s important to keep them quiet and to turn up with high pace in our game.”
Southampton come into the match as the division’s second most in-form team behind Sp*rs. With Gunners’ confidence a little fragile it’s going to be a very tough test, although we can at least take heart from our home record against the visitors who’ve only beaten us on our own patch once in 21 attempts.
That should jinx it.
I believe the return of Alexis and Coquelin, the introduction of Elneny, Ox confident again, a rested Ozil and Ramsey should give us new wind in our sails and injected a fresh boost of confidence going forward.
So, knowing Arsenal, we’ll lose 1-0 tonight.
Sorry for being negi, prove me wrong boys!
This will be a really tough game, Ronald Koeman has Wengers number and knows how to set up his teams to frustrate us, we really seem to struggle against Southampton in recent years.
We are running out of games so no more slip-ups and we win the league, plain and simple.
We have to start turning our home stadium into a bit of a fortress if we’re going to win the league this year. Citeh are already talking about spending a billion pounds for the arrival of the chosen one.
COYG!
I suggest we start by building a big moat round the outside and filling it with crocodiles. We could then get all away managers and teams to swim it before gaining access.
Let Guardiola beat that. The bastard.
Is that the kind of fortress you meant?
yes! and our players all need really nasty Viking-like beards.
Imagine cazorla like that. He would send shivers down the spines of Wanyama, Yaya, Imbula etc!!
And Coquelin could be a kind of Pirate King, a bit like Keith Richards in them films and that.
I really do have to grow up at some point.
But it is not this day. Save the boiling oil and the fire arrows for Cunts under the bridge.
And Chelsea and Stoke players have to swim their way through to the away ‘locker rooms’, which is actually the London sewage system.
Anyone think he might play Ramsey on the right and Elnenny in the middle along with Coquelin?
Somehow this appeal to me a lot…with two box midfielder, we can dominate the middle of the park.
They definitely have some goal threats but so do we. I expect Sanchez and Giroud to be causing all types of problems. With Coquelin back our defence will have better protection from their counter attacks.
Fifteen games to go and a title to win, we’d better be wary of every single side out there from now until the end of May.
Who the fuck cares who Southampton has up front. We need to beat them however we can. And the usual way is not to concede goals while scoring a bunch ourselves. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen tonight.
If we can win against sides with the likes of Aguero and Lewandowski then sure as fuck we can win against a side who’s got Charlie Austin and Shane Long.
Hopefully Theo doesn’t start today and wenger is a bit flexible in his selection.
Speaking of Austin, i feel if he didn’t have his injury problems, he’d be a great squad player for us. Would definitely take him over Theo and Welbeck AS A STRIKER.
Goes without saying, we lose or even draw today, we might as well kiss the league goodbye.
Totally agree about Austin. He would have made a great no2 for Giroud, and at £4million was a snip. We have the players coming back now to win this one though.
Walcott has talked the talk, which is good but for the last few games it’s all been just talk, it’s time he starts to walk the talk, fingers crossed hope the arrival of Alexis would spark him back into form and he starts to play the way we all know he can play (great )
Does anybody in their right mind think the choirboy and the Instagram addict will be at Arsenal next season?
Yes, I think he will stay. Unless Arsenal get a pacey world class centre forward having Giroud, Walcott and Wellbeck as the Central option is not bad.
I would only swap him for someone of the calibre of a Suarez, Aguero or Messi.
He is best in positions where he has to play instinctively then he can be excellent.
Not bad, but won’t win you the league.
Trust me with pep coming in plus this new tv deal or whatever, we will never get an easier chance than this one to the win the league.
They can win you the FA Cup, but definitely not the league.
Any form of victory would do for me.
Going forward Wenger’s selections will be very interesting match to match. The questions for today’s match are: – Does Per come back into the lineup or does he stick with Gabriel (as it appears Kos is OK)? – Who starts at right midfield: Ox, Walcott, Campbell or even Ramsey (if Elneny comes into the middle)? – Does Coquelin start again just a few days after his first match in a couple of months? – Does Elneny get another start or does Ramsey slot back in? Nice to have options finally. Definitely a game we not only need to get three… Read more »
Given how they targeted per last time round I’d definitely be playing Gabriel tonight, his recovery pace alone could be massive.
Is the game televised? Appears neither Sky or BT Sport are showing it?
It’s a good time to start winning some games again. Let’s make tonight the night!
Huge game…on my way now…. Now or never. Defeat could mean the end of our title chances for years (with Guardiola coming in with a limitless budget)….no wins in four and that would be it.
I am worried about Walcott’s attacking ability! 🙂
Whenever things begin to turn to shit we manage to come up with a win, so I predict we’ll achieve a laboured 2-1 victory over the Saints.
With a score to settle and with those players coming back a win is almost guaranteed.
Stop talking and start playing Theo and scoring. I’m pretty much fed up with him being constantly slipped through and not scoring.