Walcott hits the Jackpot

Walcott further underlined his value to the Gunners by scoring a wonderful goal and winning a penalty in the midweek victory over Villarreal.

He will be rewarded for his fine form with a bumper pay rise that will more than treble his current £20,000-a-week wages and keep him at Arsenal until 2014.

Although a couple of details protracted negotiations are now 90 per cent complete and Walcott will put pen to paper on the new deal. Arsenal face Chelsea in the last four of the FA Cup tomorrow and Walcott is convinced they can go all the way in both competitions, claiming opposition teams are scared of facing him and his team-mates. “There is a lot of room, everyone is buzzing,” said 20-year-old Walcott.

“We feel every team are scared of us as soon as we step on the pitch.”

Robin van Persie is also confident he will sign a new Arsenal contract, but admitted he was devastated to see Guus Hiddink become Chelsea’s temporary manager because the Dutchman has the Midas touch.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh no, Chelsea are still in the FA Cup and the Champions League and he will win something’,” said Van Persie.

“He is unbelievable.

“Everything he does turns to gold. I saw him two years ago in Holland, because we use the same physio sometimes, and I asked to see his hands. He said, ‘Yes, why?’ And I said that everything he put his hands on turns to gold. He was laughing; more injury problems in defence ahead of the Chelsea clash.

Manuel Almunia, Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Johan Djourou and Bacary Sagna all missed the win over Villarreal, and Kieran Gibbs is also struggling. “We still have Sagna as a doubt for the weekend,” said manager Arsene Wenger. “Gibbs is still suffering with a groin problem, while Clichy, Almunia and Djourou are all still out.”