Two of Southampton’s finest youth products Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale currently play their trade at North London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham respectively. The argument remains as to which player is better than the other.
It does not get easier to compare two players when it comes to the two speed demons. Both the players are of the same age, play in the same position and play in the same league. In addition to this both the players are part of a team with similar stature and quality.
While Bale manages to steal all the headlines and bolts a higher market value, Theo Walcott has been the better player statistically. This season Walcott has managed to notch 18 goals in 29 appearances, he also managed to assist 7 of Arsenal’s goals. Bale on the other hand has scored 13 and assisted 3 in 28 appearances.
The past 3 years have seen the prominent rise of Gareth Bale, with the media comparing him to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo. Theo Walcott on the other hand, has been once again the better player in that time period statistically. While Walcott has 37 goals and 28 assists in 106 starts, Bale has 32 goals and 17 assists in 125 starts.
Then why is Bale consistently highlighted as a superstar and Walcott dumped as the underperformer?
To begin with Bale’s performances are equipped with a lot of trickery something which appeals more to the human eye. He is physically much stronger than Walcott and has the ability to strengthen out defenders.
The highlight of his career came in Tottenham’s Champions League encounter against then European Champions Inter Milan. Brazilian full back Maicon who was on the peak of his career at that time, was handed the task to mark the Welshman. In a match which saw Inter Milan taking a lead by 4 goals, an inspiring second half hat-trick by 21 year old Gareth Bale propelled for a possible comeback. The match ended 4-3 in favour of Inter Milan, but the winner at the end of the game was surely Gareth Bale.
Apart from this, while Bale has been the front man at Spurs for the past 2-3 seasons, Walcott has been living in the shadows of Van Persie, Fabregas and Nasri. This season has seen a more responsible Theo, who has been spearheading the Gunners in their title quest.
The former Saints duo are likely to feature this Saturday, as Tottenham face a tricky tie against a rejuvenated Newcastle, while Arsenal visit the Stadium of Light to face 12th placed Sunderland. Both Bale and Walcott have a lot of years ahead of them, now maybe too soon to pass a verdict on who is the better player, but it might become clearer in the coming years.
While Bale manages to steal all the headlines and bolts a higher market value, Theo Walcott has been the better player statistically. This season Walcott has managed to notch 18 goals in 29 appearances, he also managed to assist 7 of Arsenal’s goals. Bale on the other hand has scored 13 and assisted 3 in 28 appearances.
The past 3 years have seen the prominent rise of Gareth Bale, with the media comparing him to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo. Theo Walcott on the other hand, has been once again the better player in that time period statistically. While Walcott has 37 goals and 28 assists in 106 starts, Bale has 32 goals and 17 assists in 125 starts.
Then why is Bale consistently highlighted as a superstar and Walcott dumped as the underperformer?
To begin with Bale’s performances are equipped with a lot of trickery something which appeals more to the human eye. He is physically much stronger than Walcott and has the ability to strengthen out defenders.
The highlight of his career came in Tottenham’s Champions League encounter against then European Champions Inter Milan. Brazilian full back Maicon who was on the peak of his career at that time, was handed the task to mark the Welshman. In a match which saw Inter Milan taking a lead by 4 goals, an inspiring second half hat-trick by 21 year old Gareth Bale propelled for a possible comeback. The match ended 4-3 in favour of Inter Milan, but the winner at the end of the game was surely Gareth Bale.
Apart from this, while Bale has been the front man at Spurs for the past 2-3 seasons, Walcott has been living in the shadows of Van Persie, Fabregas and Nasri. This season has seen a more responsible Theo, who has been spearheading the Gunners in their title quest.
The former Saints duo are likely to feature this Saturday, as Tottenham face a tricky tie against a rejuvenated Newcastle, while Arsenal visit the Stadium of Light to face 12th placed Sunderland. Both Bale and Walcott have a lot of years ahead of them, now maybe too soon to pass a verdict on who is the better player, but it might become clearer in the coming years.
