Theo Walcott has lauded William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for their solid defensive work for Arsenal, yet he singles out Bukayo Saka as the team’s most exceptional player this season.
Arsenal is in the thick of the hunt for trophies in the Premier League and the Champions League, and the upcoming days could be critical. The team from north London is set to face Bayern Munich tonight and then travel to face Wolves over the weekend.
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At 22, Saka, who was Arsenal’s Player of the Season for two consecutive years, has had a remarkable season, netting 18 goals across competitions, marking his highest goal tally for Arsenal to date.
The English forward has also contributed eight assists in the league, playing a pivotal role in keeping Arsenal in contention for the title, even after a recent tough loss to Aston Villa.
With high stakes in play, Saka is eager to leave his mark in tonight’s game against Bayern, building on his goal in the thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg of the quarter-finals at the Emirates.
In a conversation with talkSPORT before the second leg, ex-Arsenal standout Walcott gave special commendation to Saka, asserting that the young forward has proven to be the club’s most valuable player once more this season.
‘I’m going to be quite biased and go with one of the forwards because I was a forward player,’ Walcott said.
‘Look, the defence has been absolutely solid. Saliba at the back, he was greatly missed for a period of time last year, particularly towards the end of the season.
‘I scored against Arsenal while playing for Southampton in the 3-3 and a few Arsenal fans weren’t happy about that, but I had to do my job! But Saliba wasn’t playing that day.
‘I’m going to have to go with Saka. I think Bukayo’s goal tally, his goal contribution, the way he plays. For me, he’s always been impressive.
‘My kids absolutely love him, like me, so yeah, he’s graced the field really well. He really has.’
Walcott has expressed his satisfaction with Kai Havertz’s adaptation and performance in an Arsenal jersey, and he commends the club for defying expectations by not succumbing to the pressure of spending excessively on a new striker during the last two transfer periods.
‘They’re in the title race, of course. It’s nice the fact that we don’t really know who is going to win, it could go anywhere,’ he added.
‘Goal difference is a big factor for me, I look at that, and people say – and I was one of them, to be fair – they needed a number nine type of figure, but they’ve proven everyone wrong.
‘The fact that Kai Havertz has found his feet as well, found his position. That’s really important. He’s got them ticking up front.
‘They’ve got everyone coming back fit as well, but there is always something that happens in the run-in.
‘But I think it’s nice we’re all talking, we’ve all got different opinions about who is going to win, we’re not quite sure, and that’s why we love the Premier League.’
