Theo Walcott is a player who, perhaps more than any other Arsenal player, has been criticised for his final ball. Capable of brilliance but consistency has always been a real problem for the English international. Recently, however, the flying winger’s efficiency with his final pass has certainly improved and the 2010/11 season saw his highest total of assists so far at the club, nine, in just 25 starts and 13 substitute appearances. A rate any winger should be proud of.
Since joining the club Theo Walcott has managed 34 assists in five and a bit seasons of football. The only player remaining at the club to have topped that total being Robin Van Persie.
The relationship between the top two assisters at the club has been a burgeoning one since Theo arrived at Arsenal and this is shown by the percentage of goals Walcott has set up for Van Persie.
Out of the 34 assists Walcott has made, 38% of those have been to lay on a Robin Van Persie goal. This partnership has become more and more prominent as the two have become increasingly key to the way Arsenal play and this is evident from focussing on the past two seasons alone. From the 11 assists Walcott has managed since the start of the 2010/11 season, a massive 72% have been passes for the Dutchman to score.
It is clear that Walcott’s become a much more effective player in terms of his crossing and final ball in general and I believe this video of his top 20 assists, ordered subjectively by myself, show exactly how much he’s improved in that area.
Brilliant video, Theo is currently my favorite player at Arsenal and I really hope he is going to get a very good future!