Theo Walcott says Manchester City represent a ‘big problem’ in the Premier League title race and are more than capable of ‘hunting down’ Arsenal over the coming weeks and months.

Walcott’s former side Arsenal went six points clear at the top of the table with a comprehensive, Eberechi Eze-inspired victory over bitter rivals Tottenham last month.

But the Gunners have suffered a mini-wobble in the absence of their first-choice centre-back pairing, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, and their advantage over second-placed Manchester City has since narrowed to just two points.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who sit third, have hit their stride heading into the Christmas period, meanwhile, winning their last six games in the top flight.

The club’s excellent run included a statement 2-1 victory over the leaders earlier this month, in which Emiliano Buendia struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to take the roof off Villa Park.

Mikel Arteta’s men – who survived a late scare versus relegation-threatened Wolves last time out – will hope to reassert themselves again when they return to action away to Everton this weekend.

‘It just shows that the competition and the elements of how this league works are so fascinating because you can’t call any game really. You really can’t,’ ex-Arsenal star Walcott said of the side’s nervy win over Wolves on It’s Called Soccer.

‘When a team has a new manager and they get desperate in a sense, ultimately, you have to get together as a team and say, “Look, we’ve got nothing to lose in this game, let’s just really work for each other.”

‘I think the pressure of playing away from home probably helps these teams that are in a relegation fight as well. I think the pressure of the fans can really take its toll on some guys.

‘I was a part of that at Southampton where you’re in a relegation battle, sometimes it isn’t nice playing at home.’

Arsenal have finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons in the English top flight, twice second-best to Manchester City before they were beaten to the trophy by Liverpool last term.

But according to Walcott, Arteta’s side are beginning to get the kind of ‘luck’ that eventual champions tend to experience in title-winning campaigns.

‘It shows, for me, that Arsenal are getting that luck that all champions get in time. It’s happening every week, it’s happening constantly now,’ he added.

‘At Arsenal, all of a sudden, something is developing and it’s just that positive energy and I think that helps.’

Arteta could be forgiven for taking the occasional look behind his shoulder at the chasing pack, with Arsenal’s lead at the top slashed to just two points after 16 games.

Since suffering defeat at Newcastle, there have been signs that Manchester City could be on the way back to their best – and Walcott believes Pep Guardiola’s side are beginning to look rather scary.

‘They are a problem. They are a big problem for me,’ Walcott explained.

‘City would worry me more [than Villa] because they’ve been there in this situation before, they’ve hunted Arsenal down quite frankly and in time they will grind them down and it will just happen.

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‘They worry me more, however, Villa have an incredible manager who is probably recognising that he’s got an opportunity to create history.

‘Ollie Watkins isn’t actually playing well and when he plays well and starts scoring, that’s going to be another problem.

‘But Manchester City in this time, yes, they’re scoring goals but not playing well in certain moments. I still feel like there’s a lot of gears to go up there.’

Walcott is satisfied that Arsenal have been able to ‘recognise’ and ‘handle’ the pressure up until this point, but he fears this could change if City continue to breathe down their necks heading into the business end of the season.

The former England attacker went on: ‘Obviously Pep saying about Phil Foden, not happy in the way he played and not trusting themselves and he was anxious on the ball a lot and he needs to improve and this and that…. that just says to me that his standards are so high that you need to be perfect.

‘I think he recognises that they’re not perfect but they’re still hunting Arsenal and they are a big problem for me.

‘As well, Pep is smart because, international breaks, he’ll be having words with his players and saying, “You make sure you get in those Arsenal ears, you make sure you get in those Villa ears, distract them from something, do everything you can to win that battle when you’re with them and don’t show any weakness at all”, March, that’s where it all kind of develops in the league.

‘But it’s a big worry for me, it really is. I hate it. I’m an Arsenal man so imagine just me on my own, but we’re talking about the Arsenal globe of fans worrying and that’s just going to seep more pressure on.

‘Can this team recognise that pressure and can they actually handle it? They are at the moment.’

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