Per Mertesacker: The Arsenal star Premier League defences are scared of

Per Mertesacker has hailed Theo Walcott

PER MERTESACKER believes Premier League defences will be scared of Theo Walcott.

Until this season, Walcott spent the majority of his Arsenal career on the right wing despite his insistence that he sees himself as a striker.

In the summer, manager Arsene Wenger made the decision not to sign a forward, leaving Olivier Giroud as the main forward supported by the likes of Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Walcott.

But Giroud's inconsistent form led Wenger to giving Walcott a chance in his favoured role and he has repaid that faith, scoring seven goals in his last nine appearances for club and country.

And team-mate Mertesacker believes the England star will become even more dangerous.

 

He told Arsenal Player: "It is a different position that what he played before on the wing.

"In the centre he is always one against two, so he needs to find his way and his spaces and the pockets where he can be dangerous.

 

"That will always be more in behind [the defence], forcing [the opposition] to go back because they will always be scared, if Theo plays up front, of the space in behind."