After missing a penalty kick opportunity against Liverpool in Arsenal’s opener in the Premier League, Theo Walcott bounced right back and gave the Gunners a 1-0 advantage.
Arsenal fans around the world probably felt like Jeff Daniels from the 1994 comedy classic Dumb and Dumber after Theo Walcott’s penalty miss. In the words of Daniels to his best friend Lloyd Christmas — played by Jim Carrey — Walcott totally redeem himself on Sunday against Liverpool.
Walcott and Arsenal dominated most of the first half against Liverpool on Sunday and earned a penalty kick opportunity. Walcott was denied by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, but it didn’t take long for Walcott to bounce back and get the Gunners on the scoreboard for the first time this season.
Just 69 seconds later, Walcott got a golden opportunity to score off a turnover and made sure his shot wouldn’t be stopped the second time around.
A minute after his PK was denied, Theo Walcott strikes back for @Arsenal! #PLonNBC https://t.co/giJfuuOg0n
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 14, 2016
The call for the goal was fantastic as well. “Can he atone? Yes he can!”
Walcott’s goal was the first of the season for he and Arsenal and probably felt like some sweet redemption. It would hold until almost the end of the half until Liverpool’s Philipe Coutinho would score the equalizer to tie the match at 1-1 a few minutes later on a beautiful free kick.
The Premier League’s first real big-time matchup of the season has lived up to the hype through the first 45 minutes. Arsenal took control with some dominant possession numbers and the Walcott goal to cap them off, but Liverpool closed the half with a ton of momentum following the Coutinho strike.
It won’t be the last goal scored by Walcott this season. He scored five goals in 15 appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League last season during the Gunners’ second-place finish behind Leicester City and their magical run to the Premier League title.