Theo Walcott has struggled to secure a place in the starting 11 since coming back from injury but made quite a difference when he came on as a second half substitution against Man United.

Arsenal boss Arsenal Wenger hailed the winger’s return and positive influence on the match, as well as Jack Wilshere’s impact.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the manager said, “I know that I have a squad of 25 players of top level and unfortunately you can only start 11. Theo is sharper now and people forget he has been out for a year and Jack has not played since November and when they came on they had a positive impact.”

Many Arsenal fans have been calling out for the winger to get more playing time this season but, ultimately, it’s obviously down to the boss.

The Englishman is rumoured to be entering new contract negotiations with the club soon amidst speculation that he could be off to rivals Liverpool. However, it’s not looking good if he’s getting next to no minutes on the pitch.

Whether his lack of playing time is down to genuinely not being match-ready or whether it’s a form of punishment for not signing sooner – similar to what we saw a few years ago – we’ll probably never know… Although we can have an educated guess.