Theo Walcott changes Arsenal prediction after Manchester City draw

Theo Walcott has revised his Premier League top-four prediction following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City, backing his former club to finish second in the table.

Arsenal had looked on course for their second loss of the season after Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute goal at the Emirates, but Gabriel Martinelli had other ideas after coming off the bench for Jurrien Timber in the closing stages.

Latching onto a searching pass from Eberechi Eze, the Brazilian took a perfect first touch before before expertly lifting the ball over Gianluigi Donnarumma to send Arsenal’s home support into raptures.

The late strike saw Mikel Arteta become the first-ever manager to go five successive games unbeaten against Pep Guardiola, the man he previously worked under at the Etihad.

However, reigning champions Liverpool increased their lead at the top to five points after edging out Everton in a hard-fought Merseyside derby a day earlier.

The Gunners will hope to get back to winning ways and keep the pressure on Liverpool when they return to top-flight action away to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

‘To be honest, when I looked at the starting line-up I was a bit disappointed for the likes of Martinelli and Eze,’ ex-Arsenal winger Walcott said of Sunday’s heavyweight contest on It’s Called Soccer.

‘Obviously [Leandro] Trossard scored [against Athletic Bilbao], however, I just felt like this game needed a different kind of player.

‘When you look at both sets of full-backs, there was one full-back in play in the game which was Timber and I felt that’s where it was really won.

‘Having said that, it’s just disappointing, when you pay that much money on a certain player, that is going to be creative and be that finisher or game-changer, for me, you have to start these players because they’re the ones that will take the risks that will unlock defences in a different way.

‘That’s the problem. That’s what Arsenal don’t do in these big games at this moment in time.

They want to stay in it and I understand that, I get that. However, I just feel that every time Arsenal pick up their intensity, teams struggle. They can’t cope with them.’

Walcott added: ‘Why would you not do that from the start? That’s the frustration from the fan side of things because it’s in the players.

‘It takes them until the 90th minute. When the fourth official puts up the timer, it’s like the fans forget, “Oh my god, we’ve got seven minutes left!”… you just had an hour and a half to win the game!’

Walcott felt Arsenal could have issued a serious statement of intent to their title rivals by going for the jugular and taking more ‘risks’ against a ‘beatable’ City team.

‘I feel like deep down, if you really isolate the situation, I think he made an error in the starting line-up,’ he continued.

‘Manchester City aren’t the Manchester City they have been in previous years, that’s really clear to see. They’re beatable.

‘The Liverpool game was different at Anfield, I understand that, but at home you can afford to take those risks and they were limited to me.’

Asked if he thinks Arsenal can end their title drought playing Arteta’s way, Walcott replied: ‘I do [think Arsenal can win the league].

‘The dynamic needs to change of when Arteta makes the substitutions, though.

‘Manchester City took off Haaland, took off [Phil] Foden. There’s no attacking threat with just [Jeremy] Doku. Why would you [Arsenal] not bring on some more attacking threat and it took a bit of time to react.

‘It’s about reacting to the opposition. He obviously switched Martinelli and [Bukayo] Saka around, but I feel like this year, the games they drew last year, they aren’t going to draw those.

‘I think the difference for those games particularly is Viktor Gyokeres. I know he hasn’t set the world alight yet, but I just think they’re the kind of games that they need that centre-forward who is going to occupy the centre-backs in a different way.

‘That’s my take on it, I just don’t think they’re going to draw as many. In the big games they can afford to drop points.’

Walcott predicted Arsenal would finish third at the start of the season, behind champions Liverpool and City.

But the former England international – a two-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal – is more optimistic about the Gunners’ chances thanks to their recruitment in the summer transfer market.

‘I had Arsenal third but that was before the transfer window stuff, wasn’t it?’ he said.

Asked if he would now put Arsenal as his title favourites, Walcott replied: ‘No, I’d put them second. They’re creeping up!

‘I said they’re going to be a bit more competitive and they’re going to lead the table for a long period of time and they’re more equipped to win the Champions League. That’s how I see it.’

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