Walcott hopes for 'change of luck'

Theo Walcott hopes Arsenal's luck has finally changed as the Gunners aim to get their Barclays Premier League campaign back on track with victory over Bolton on Wednesday night.

Arsene Wenger's side were 2-0 down in their FA Cup fourth round tie against Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium yesterday heading into at half-time, with another shot at a long overdue trophy looking to have passed them by.

However, a rousing second-half performance turned the tie around with a brace of penalties from captain Robin van Persie sandwiching a somewhat fortunate effort from the England winger as Arsenal secured a place in the last 16 against either Sunderland or Middlesbrough next month.

Walcott, who scored after his goal-line cross was hacked against him by Alan Hutton and then into the net, feels Arsenal can head to Bolton confident of putting three straight league defeats behind them as they aim to close back on the top four.

"Hopefully something came out of us that we can turn into Premier League form, which hasn't been great lately. Hopefully our luck has changed now," he said.

"It was a good thing that it was the FA Cup, it is totally different to the Premier League. We needed a slight break."

Walcott continued: "We have a lot of regret from recent [league] games because we should have won them.

"That was for the fans today - they have waited a long time for a great result and we gave them that."

Walcott feels the FA Cup is a competition Arsenal - who have not lifted a trophy since 2005 - can go on to win in May, but warned against any premature dreams of Wembley.

The England forward, 22, said: "If we do start thinking a bit too far ahead, maybe we will be disappointed at the end of it.

"However, this is a cup competition that we can win and we need to believe that we can.

"But our priority is not that now, it is Wednesday's game. That's what everybody is like in the dressing room.

"It was a great result for us but everyone will go home, put their feet up, recover and then travel and go again on Wednesday."

"Bolton is going to be a tough game because they are coming off the back of a few good results, like against Liverpool."