6 – Walcott’s Hat-Trick
Arsenal played host to West Brom as they drew a close on an impressive Premier League campaign, after they had already claimed third spot and automatic Champions League qualification.
With the visitors in mid-table, Gunners fans may have felt like there was nothing to play for on the final day of the season, but Theo Walcott didn’t get that memo.
Arsene Wenger mixed up a starting eleven that hadn’t been changed for four previous games, which allowed Walcott to come in for Olivier Giroud, who had failed to score since April 4th.
Walcott has always stated his desire to play as a striker, and yet again he staked a claim when putting three past a helpless Ben Foster, in the space of 23 minutes.
Now on any ordinary day, it would have been an impressive result, but on the penultimate game before the FA Cup final, Walcott had shown exactly the qualities he had to start the game on May 30th.
And Wenger put his vote of confidence in the Englishman, who’s FA Cup final opener meant he finished the season on seven goals after a long-term injury left him out of the side for the majority of the year.
Rumours of the 26-year-old wanting out of the Emirates have circled the media for weeks, but Walcott dropped a massive hint that he would be sticking around for another season, “This is the best group of players I’ve played with, and will continue to play with.”