Theo Walcott can help Arsenal punish leaky Leicester defence
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Arsenal head to the King Power stadium this weekend as the fourth-lowest scorers in the Premier League after a quiet start to Arsene Wenger’s 19th full year in charge of the Gunners.
The Frenchman has admitted that Alexis Sanchez has started slowly this season, following a busy season for the Chilean in the Copa America, and with Olivier Giroud struggling to make an impact in addition to being sent off in the Champions League, Theo Walcott could be the man to spark the London club into life.
Giroud started against Tottenham in the Capital One Cup in midweek, while Walcott was given a short run out at the end to ensure Arsenal held on to a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane.
Walcott netted against a resolute Foxes side at the Emirates in February en route to a 2-1 win for the hosts, and though Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri made several changes in midweek for their League Cup win over West Ham, the expected returnees may play to Arsenal’s fortune.
Defensive pairing Wes Morgan and Robert Huth are two of the same. That is to say, strength and physicality are their trump cards.
The pair have started all of Leicester’s Premier League games together this season, but with both now 31 years old, they’re lacking a couple yards of pace which neither were particularly known for in the first place.
Should Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and co win the midfield battle, Walcott can be expecting a host of chances through the middle on Saturday afternoon. For all of Leicester’s superb exploits this season, most if not all their attention has been on a rapid and problem-causing attack.
The east Midlands club haven’t kept a clean sheet in any competition this season, and have conceded twice in recent weeks to both Stoke and Aston Villa, who on paper have a strikeforce far inferior to what Wenger has at his disposal.
Walcott is 13/10 to score anytime on Saturday but they may be a little too cautious.
West Ham took the lead in the midweek cup tie at Leicester, and the Foxes also fell 2-0 down in each of their last two League games before commencing a rescue operation, so it may well be worth backing the England international to net the opener at 9/2.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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