Why Santi Cazorla Is Under Most Pressure for Arsenal Following Win over Burnley

There aren't too many negatives to be found after a tidy, though taxing, 3-0 victory over inferior opposition.

But Arsenal's dispatching of Burnley on Saturday is not merely significant because of the scoreline. Theo Walcott finally returned after 10 months out of action with a torn ACL.

One might reasonably expect a player to be quite rusty after lacking competitive action for so long. But Walcott, in just a 10-minute cameo, was one of the most impressive players on the pitch.

He did not have many opportunities to chase down long balls and really test his pace, but he engaged in many direct physical confrontations, winning many of them.

That is actually a more important test after so long an absence than mere running. It is difficult for players to trust their bodies after being out of action for so long, but Walcott went right into challenges with Burnley players and was eager to knock them off the ball.

After the game, Arsene Wenger said:

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It’s good I could give him 12 or 13 minutes today when the game was nearly won. It’s good that his decision making and movement are good—he just needs to get used to competition.

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All true. But if we saw a rusty Theo Walcott on Saturday, the prospect of a fully fit and in-form Walcott is sufficient to make Arsenal fans salivate.

If he plays anywhere near as good as he did before he got hurt—and Saturday's performance indicates that he will—then someone will have to be kicked out of the starting XI to make way.

Walcott necessarily plays on the right wing. He can sometimes play up front against lesser opposition, but it is difficult to see him getting much time there with Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and, by the end of the year, Olivier Giroud competing for that one spot.

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Arsene Wenger could use a 4-4-2 formation like he did against Burnley, but even then there would only be one opening for a smaller, speedier striker like Walcott. He has also been much better as a goalscoring winger in the past.

That means that, regardless of whether Arsenal play in a 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 setup, there will only be one remaining winger for Wenger to put in the team.

It has to be Alexis Sanchez.

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The Chilean has been absolutely sensational for Arsenal, and there is no debating whether he should start when fit. Most of his best performances have come on the wing, where he has played for most of his career and where he is the most natural fit in Arsenal's system.

So where, exactly, does that leave Santi Cazorla?

The Spaniard has been out of form for much of the season, especially in recent matches. His numerous ballooned shots into Row Z have been the subject of humor and mild derision from some Arsenal fans, and he seems generally off the pace.

That is partly because he is not wholly suited to the left wing, where he has been shunted for much of his Arsenal career. But there is little room in the team for him elsewhere.

If Cazorla cannot play on the wing, there will at best be only one other place he can play, i.e. in midfield. Yet, Aaron Ramsey is a certain starter when he finds a little form (his energetic display against Burnley indicates he might be getting there). Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere will both be vying for time.

Walcott will exponentially improve now that he is fit enough to play for the first team. That means opportunities for Cazorla to impress and get out of his prolonged rut will become scarcer. He has to capitalize on them soon, or he will become second choice.

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