The Time Has Come for Theo Walcott to Make His Mark for Arsenal

After almost a full year on the sidelines, the time has come for Theo Walcott to show he can be a reliable element of the Arsenal attack.

Walcott put it best when he once described himself as having been "consistent in patches." With contract negotiations due, that won't be good enough anymore: Walcott needs to step up a level if he is to justify his position at the club.

Season 2012/13 was the one in which Walcott seemed to reach maturity in an Arsenal shirt.

In that campaign, Walcott scored a remarkable 21 goals in 31 starts. It was his most prolific season and one which marked a transition from peripheral prodigy to bona-fide match-winner.

For a long time, he had been considered a player who would go missing when it came to the crunch. Now Walcott seemed to be showing both the willingness and ability to take responsibility.

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Consequently, 2013/14 seemed set to mark Walcott's arrival as a true superstar. However, it proved to be a campaign ravaged by injury.

Across the course of the season, Walcott made just 10 Premier League starts. His goalscoring ratio was good, with five goals in those appearances, but in truth he barely registered an impact upon Arsenal's campaign.

In early January, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season and the summer's World Cup.

It took Walcott the best part of 10 months to recover from his knee problem. Once he had done so, he picked up a groin problem after showing a little too much enthusiasm during shooting practice with England. It was 2015 before Walcott made his first start of the season.

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The next six months are massive for the winger. At present, he has just 18 months left on his deal. He is one of the highest-paid players at the club, and previous negotiations with Walcott have been anything but straightforward. He needs to put in the performances on the pitch to convince the club to meet his significant demands. 

Walcott signed his last contract in January 2013, when Arsenal broke their wage structure to secure the Englishman's future.

However, the landscape was very different then: Arsenal had just lost Robin van Persie and could not afford the departure of another star. Walcott's pace and finishing ability made him a unique proposition in the Arsenal squad.

Now the Gunners have renewed financial muscle and the ability to replace Walcott if necessary. They already have the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck offering Walcott serious competition for a place. This time, the onus is on him to deliver. 

For now, Walcott's attention is not on the future. Speaking to Arsenal Player (h/t SkySports), he said: "I like to work week by week, so I forget about the big picture and the nine months (out). Week by week, hitting the goals and when you have achieved that, you can feel good about hitting something else."

The next thing Walcott will want to hit is surely the back of the net. After so long out, he'll hope his first goal proves to be the catalyst he needs to spark a return to form.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.