Walcott reveals secret meeting

Late to sink Villas- Boas

THEO WALCOTT says a team meeting organised behind Arsene Wenger’s back has breathed new life into Arsenal’s faltering campaign.

The Gunners ended a fi ve- match winless run with a 4- 0 victory at Hull in the FA Cup fi fth- round replay on Tuesday . That followed a hard- earned 2- 2 draw at Spurs in which they were reduced to 10 men.

The Hull triumph was not enough to appease Wenger’s band of detractors, though, with a banner calling for the manager to go on show at the fi nal whistle.

Yet Walcott is adamant Arsenal are on track for glory as they bid to overhaul Premier League leaders Leicester and win the FA Cup for the third year in succession.

“We are not going to lie – we know as a unit it has been tough,” said Walcott. “We all had a good chat among ourselves behind closed doors, without the coaches or the manager knowing about anything.

“I t’s important to know that, as a team, we have got it in us and we just have to produce it more often. You had a sense of the Tottenham game especially, when you go down to 10 men in a big game like that; the belief and the character was there.

“The never- give- up spirit was there. Derby matches could turn your season and we may have turned the corner.”

The meeting was chaired by a committee of senior players comprising Per Mertesacker, Petr Cech, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky.

Walcott said: “I’d like to keep what was said among ourselves but it was very important. We have had a reaction from it anyway.

“Was Arsene aware of it? He probably knows about it anyway – he has ears everywhere at the club. The manager respects the players’ privacy and what is happening personally among us all.”