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Let's make one thing clear from the get-go: Burnley are on one hand precisely the kind of banana-peel you'd expect Arsenal to slip on. They're winless to date, and they've scored the fewest goals while conceding the most in the EPL.
Their away-record is even worse. At home, they've at least earned a couple of draws. Away from Turf Moor, they're winless and toothless, having scored but one while conceding 12 in four matches. It seems almost unfair, therefore, to unleash against them one of our most fearsome players, one who might be working his way back from injury but who is chomping at the bit: Theo Walcott.
On one hand, we shouldn't expect too much of the man. Yes, he played well two weeks ago against Blackburn's U-21s, but that was a mere 45 minutes against a squad full of teenagers. It's quite another task to step into the EPL, even against a starry-eyed, newly-promoted lot such as Burnley, and deliver the goods.
On the other, this might be the perfect run-out for Walcott. It's one thing to go from facing Blackburn U-21s to facing, say, Manchester United or Liverpool. At the risk of slighting the Clarets, the leap from Blackburn to Burnley is not quite as large. As such, we might have a chance to see Walcott turn in a few trademark runs and tidy finishes against a side that has already leaked 16 goals worst in the Prem to date.
Arsène Wenger has all but attested to the fact that Walcott will shine on Saturday, saying the following:
I don’t know if Theo will play against Burnley. We dropped points at home unexpectedly against Hull and that’s why we have to focus on winning the Burnley game before I can plan giving Theo some competition. – Wenger
For those not well-versed in Arsènese, you essentially need a card similar to the one that Homer Simpson carries, the one that states, "Always do the opposite of what Bart says." In other words, if Arsène claims that he doesn't know whether Theo will play against Burnley, it's a virtual guarantee that Theo will play against Burnley.
I'm not claiming that he will feature; I'm merely suggesting that Arsène has a record of obstinately obsfuscating the truth, and we'd do well to expect the opposite of what he says. Therefore, at some point and to some degree, Theo will play on Saturday. Maybe it will be a half, maybe it will be a 70th minute sub. We don't know. If Theo's tweets are any indication, he'll be on the pitch for some portion of the proceedings.
Of course, that falls something short of a promise, but it's tantalizing all the same. A front line of Alexis, Welbeck, and Walcott could eviscerate the sturdiest of defences, and, to put it mildly, Burnley's defense isn't among them. Yes, we may rue the absence of Mesut Özil and be left wondering what kind of service he might provide to such pacey attackers, but that's another dream for another day.
For now, content yourself with the notion that Walcott may prowl the right flank, and that the service on offer from the likes of Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez or Aaron Ramsey might be just enough for him to wet his whistle on Saturday.
Whether he's on the pitch for 15, 45, or all 90, it will be invigorating to have him back in the squad. His return to the EPL can't come soon enough.
