10 Theo Walcott Performances That Show Why Arsenal Must Keep Him

Coming off the back of two defeats, Arsenal's 5-1 win over West Ham in January 2013 represented a vital return to form and, crucially, a fluent, connected attacking team performance.

The game was played at a fast pace that suited Walcott's game well and he came close to scoring repeatedly. With the game at 1-1 entering the second half, Walcott fired the ball into the box for Giroud to connect and put Arsenal into the lead.

Walcott's pace caused West Ham plenty of problems in defence and he was rewarded for his persistence when he slotted home Arsenal's fourth after 54 minutes.

Walcott's goal was his second in two games and would become part of a four match scoring streak. He would end the season, the last he has had while fully fit, as Arsenal's top scorer with 21 goals in 43 games.

That this was a better strike rate than the highly regarded Giroud is worth remembering as Arsenal pick who will lead the line against Villa on Saturday.