Theo Walcott Arsenal Prediction Changes After Man City Draw

Theo Walcott Arsenal Prediction Shifts as He Backs Gunners for Second Place and Assesses Their Premier League Title Chances

Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott has revised his Arsenal prediction after the Gunners’ dramatic 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium. Walcott, who initially tipped Mikel Arteta’s side to finish third, now believes Arsenal are strong contenders for second place—though he still favors Liverpool to lift the Premier League trophy.

Speaking on The Overlap US and It’s Called Soccer, Walcott admitted his preseason forecast came before the transfer window closed. After watching Arsenal’s resilience against City, he updated his stance.

“I put Arsenal third, didn’t I?” Walcott asked, before correcting himself: “No, I’ll put them second.”

The match underlined Arsenal’s fighting spirit. Erling Haaland gave City the lead, but substitute Gabriel Martinelli struck in stoppage time after a clever assist from Eberechi Eze. The result meant Arteta is now unbeaten in five straight games against Pep Guardiola.

Walcott’s Criticism of Arteta’s Tactics

Despite praising the comeback, Walcott questioned Arteta’s team selection. He argued that leaving Martinelli and Eze on the bench cost Arsenal attacking momentum in the first half.

“Why wait until the 90th minute to react?” Walcott said, adding that Arsenal missed the chance to exploit a “beatable” Manchester City side.

He also criticized the timing of substitutions, insisting that Arsenal’s cautious approach in big games often holds them back. According to Walcott: “When Arsenal raise their intensity, teams can’t cope.”

Are Arsenal’s Title Chances Still Alive?

While Walcott does not expect Arsenal to overtake Liverpool just yet, he remains optimistic about their title challenge. He pointed to summer signing Viktor Gyokeres as a major boost and suggested that smarter in-game management could turn last season’s draws into wins.

“Those small details could be the difference in a tight Premier League race,” Walcott explained.

The Gunners now face a favorable run of fixtures against West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Burnley. If Arteta unleashes his attacking players earlier, as Walcott suggests, Arsenal could strengthen their position and keep their Premier League title hopes alive.

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