Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain face their former club on Saturday, neither having progressed as much as hoped, raising questions about Arsenal's ability to improve players
Theo Walcott has played over 230 times for Arsenal over a 10-year period Getty
More than 10 years on from hisArsenal debut, Theo Walcott is now due a testimonial, although at just 27 years old he is unlikely to want one. It has always felt with Walcott that his best is just around the corner, but this season he looks more determined than ever to get there.
Arsenal play Southampton on Saturday, the seventh time that he has faced them as an Arsenal player. Southampton have certainly changed in the decade since Walcott left, becoming regular Premier League overachievers and clever recruiters of players and coaches. Walcott will face a version of the same question: how much has he developed and improved since leaving for Arsenal at 17?
Clearly Walcott has done well at Arsenal, racking up 347 appearances, scoring 86 goals and winning the 2015 FA Cup. Given how many talented teenagers fall away, his 10 years at a top club is testament to his professionalism and focus. And yet there is still a sense of something so far unfulfilled with Walcott. Injuries have held him back when he was close to his best form and he has struggled to turn himself into the most important, consistent player at the club.
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