Theo Walcott has been celebrating his recent England call up by turning in some top drawer performances for Arsenal this season.
The England international was the 30th best player of last weekend, according to FanDuel stats, winning points for his assist and his shots on target as well as for slightly more subtle contributions to Arsenal’s success against Watford, including things like interceptions and fouls drawn.
That is perhaps Walcott’s biggest plus point this season – the slightly more unnoticed work that he’s been putting in, certainly against Watford, and that means he deserves his call up.
In the England setup at the moment, Sam Allardyce is without form players. Raheem Sterling seems to be the standout performer amongst Englishmen in the Premier League having been given a new lease of life under Pep Guardiola, and with Sterling on the left and Walcott on the right, England would have severe pace and a great deal more current form than with any other combination.
At Euro 2016, England underwhelmed. But more importantly, they failed to break down a well-drilled Slovakia side – the same side they face on Sunday night in Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge of England. England will have to improved markedly if they’re to get their campaign off to a winning start, and given there is no friendly to feel their way into the new regime and its new ideas, England have to start quickly.
With that in mind, Walcott’s call up is well-deserved. He has the experience on an international stage that Michail Antonio, for example, doesn’t have – something that is crucial given the nature of this fixture. England have to win not just to get off to a good start, but to create some good feeling around the camp after a disappointing Euros.
With no warm-up game, having an on-form player with the experience Walcott has is a big benefit to Allardyce, and his form proves his call-up is justified.
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