'Turn the negative into a positive' - Walcott

Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott wants to see his old club turning the negative of missing out on the Premier League title two seasons running into a positive as they look to end their 20-year wait for a championship crown.

Walcott was part of the last Gunners squad to finish second, behind surprise winners Leicester in 2016.

He feels Arsenal failed that season, which is not an accusation that could be levelled against Mikel Arteta’s current side, after their 84 and 89-point hauls.

“The 2016 season was one where no-one really played well, and Leicester were brilliant,” he said. “That was a chance missed for us.

“It’s going to be different this year. United will be better. Chelsea will be better. Liverpool are a bit of an unknown.

“What you have to do is turn the negative into a positive. Don’t dwell on negative things and get yourself into little cliques. You have to create a good group environment and forget about the noise.”

Walcott feels Arteta has created a winning culture at Arsenal by bonding the whole club together, from the first team through to the academy.

“We can see other clubs now going through the kind of difficult transition Arsenal went through (after Arsene Wenger left) when you are trying to get the balance right,” he said.

“It’s like Liverpool now. It is hard to be the guy after (Jurgen) Klopp. That is what happened at Arsenal. (Unai) Emery is an incredible manager but it is all about the timing. It takes time to go through big change.

“You have to get everything right, from the top all the way down. I am not just talking first team. I am talking about the academy side as well. That is the future.

“Mikel is starting to learn a lot more as a coach and as a man. It is really exciting to see.”