Arsenal dug in to secure a draw at Manchester City in a crucial title battle on Sunday – and former Gunners winger Theo Walcott thinks their new-found ‘nasty’ streak could be pivotal in their attempts to win the league.
Mikel Arteta’s side drew 2-2 at the Etihad at the weekend, despite being reduced to 10 men before half-time – they nearly won it, had it not been for John Stones’ late equaliser.
The Gunners have been hit by injuries and suspensions in recent weeks, with key man Martin Odegaard ruled out, but Walcott thinks their chances of winning the title this year are good.
'Arsenal have got a great chance of winning the league… and I still feel like they will'
“That hasn’t changed after the weekend, I still feel like Arsenal have got a great chance of winning the league, and I still feel like they will,” the 35-year-old told FourFourTwo.
“Certain players aren’t playing, losing Odegaard really takes the creativity out of the whole team, but they’re so regimented in the way they defend as a unit, they all have one mindset – talking to staff at the club, the backroom staff all have that mindset as well, everyone is so positive around the place and that feeds into the team.
“You’d have taken a point at the start of the game on Sunday. Mikel won’t dwell on the fact they lost two points, he won’t worry about that, the games where they messed up previously are against the West Hams and Fulhams, those are the ones they can’t afford to lose.
“They’re good teams, but for Arsenal to win the league, they want to be winning those games, because Manchester City don’t really lose them.”
For many years, Arsenal were regarded as too nice to win the Premier League, lacking the steel that they used to have during the early seasons under Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners showed a tougher side at the Etihad, accused of employing the dark arts to break up the game and stop Manchester City securing victory.
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“I think there’s definitely a side of Arsenal that’s a bit nasty now,” said Walcott, who’s also now an ambassador of the club. “Being around them in pre-season and seeing how physically strong and big they are, we look at the Arsene Wenger teams of the Invincibles, they were big guys and it’s coming back to that now. They’re not afraid of anyone.
“They showed a different side where they frustrated Man City to shots from distance, it was just that once where they switched off.
“You need to slow the game down when you’ve got 10 men. It’s not great for the neutral, I understand that, but it’s a results business and people will look back on it if they end up winning the league, and that was the moment, that point at City.”
'I’m a big fan of Timber'
Walcott has been particularly impressed this season with Dutch defender Jurrien Timber, who joined Arsenal a year ago but quickly sustained a cruciate ligament injury.
After making his recovery, this term he’s established himself as a regular, first at left-back, and then starting ahead of Ben White at right-back at the Etihad.
“I’m a big fan of Timber,” Walcott said on a visit to the KickX arena, where he has invested.
“He’s gone through a massive injury and when someone goes through an injury like that, like Tino Livramento who I was at Southampton with, seeing them go through it, it’s not easy.
“But Timber fits anywhere in the back four, he can adapt and when you have players like that, no-nonsense, he’s got a presence about him, I’m a big fan of his.”
