Theo Walcott has revealed he is rooting for Arsenal in the Premier League title race. Over a decade at the Emirates saw the 34-year-old make almost 400 appearances for the Gunners.
His time in North London embedded a deep-rooted affinity for Arsenal in Walcott’s heart but that did not stop him from dealing a crushing blow to their title hopes. After just 14 minutes, the forward stunned the home crowd into silence after slotting past Aaron Ramsdale to put Southampton 2-0 up.
Walcott was visibly torn as he decided against celebrating the goal - a U-turn from his stance two-and-a-half-years ago. In December 2020, the ex-Gunner scored the opener in an eventual 1-1 draw and celebrated wildly - drawing criticism from his former supporters.
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There were no fans in attendance that day due to Covid-19 restrictions and, in front of a jam-packed Emirates last night, Walcott muted his enthusiasm. As it turned out, Arsenal fought back but a 3-3 draw left a sour taste for both sets of supporters, with rock-bottom Saints fighting for their Premier League lives.
Speaking post-match, Walcott admitted Bukayo Saka’s equaliser flattened Southampton - who would have moved level with 17th-placed Everton with a win. The forward also threw his support behind Arsenal in the title race, insisting they are “way better” than rivals Manchester City.
“It deflated everyone (the equaliser),” Walcott told NBC Sports. “That’s the sense I got from the fans and both teams. Of course, we were in a great position and we threw it away.
“In hindsight, we would have taken a point at the top of the league before the game but, when you’re (leading) with five minutes (to go), you have to be hanging on. It’s very deflating.
“We started really well. My son is going to be disappointed that I didn’t celebrate but I just couldn’t. It was a very indifferent day for me today - I felt like I couldn’t win!
“Hopefully, Arsenal can go win the league and beat (Manchester) City on Wednesday. We have to take positives from today, of course, because the team that stuck together in really difficult moments and Arsenal are just incredible.
“For me, when they played City the other week, I thought Arsenal were way better than them - that's how I see them at the moment.”
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