Arsenal’s glittering run of form came to an abrupt end this weekend as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sunderland. The Black Cats deserved their victory and Arsenal’s reliance on the brilliant Van Persie was exposed. But even in this defeat, there was one piece of good news, as Theo Walcott made an impressive 20 minute cameo as Arsenal attempted to salvage something from the game. Walcott, along with Vela, made an immediate impact as they provided more pace and width than Nasri and Rosicky had done.

With Van Persie and Bendtner injured for the foreseeable future (horse placenta notwithstanding), Arsenal lack any sort of physical presence up front. Eduardo is talented player but lacks the physical attributes to cause problems when he is playing as a lone striker; he performs better alongside a target-man or on the left of a front three. Walcott’s return from injury raises the possibility of Wenger trying out the young England international up front.

Walcott has made no secret of the fact that he sees his long-term future as a central striker. For both Arsenal and England, he has been used effectively as a right winger but when he started out at Southampton it was as a striker. Arsene Wenger has also hinted that he would eventually like to move Walcott into a more central role, but first wants the youngster to develop his game playing on the right of midfield. His caution is understandable, but Walcott has improved on his composure and finishing in his time at Arsenal; he may be ready to lead the line for the Gunners.

Walcott is not an imposing figure; he stands at around 5ft 9 inches and would not be first choice as anyone’s target-man. However his searing pace could allow him to fulfil this role in the same way that Gabriel Agbonlahor spearheads the Aston Villa attack when Carew is not selected. Walcott and Agbonlahor are both extremely quick players and this pace can cause real problems for opposition defences. If Walcott plays centrally, defenders are likely to drop a few yards deeper because they know that they have no chance in a footrace against him. This would create more space for the likes of Fabregas and Arshavin to play the intricate passing game that Arsenal thrive upon. Though he lacks the strength of Bendtner and the technique of Van Persie, Walcott could do an effective job up front in their absence.

Naysayers will point to the final of the Under-21 European Championships in the summer when Theo played as a central striker but found himself isolated and feeding off scraps (high crosses are not ideal for the youngster). But with Arsenal he will receive much better service, there is no player better equipped than Cesc Fabregas to slide through balls in for a speedy front-man. Wenger is likely to persevere with Eduardo for now, but if the Croatian does not deliver results, he could give Walcott the opportunity to show what he can do.

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