Arsenal 3 Watford 0: Walcott adds high note to great orchestra of attack

The £12m transfer, the England cap, the Hello! magazine photoshoot and finally a start for Arsenal: that's the basics out the way for Theo Walcott, now for his career. He is ready, Walcott himself said, to "learn from the master Thierry", although even his manager does not yet know the 17-year-old's best position.

It was Arsène Wenger's admission that he has not yet discovered whether Walcott is a left winger, right winger or striker that reminded you that in the back-to-front career of the boy from Berkshire we know as much about his schooldays as we know about him as a footballer. Saturday offered some clues but then Wenger could hardly have picked a better day for his young protégé's first Arsenal start.

When the great orchestra of attacking football at the Emirates stadium bursts into life, there can hardly be a more thrilling place for a teenage footballer to play. The boy himself played one sweet ball through to Cesc Fabregas in the 12th minute and comfortably held his own as Arsenal's counter-attacks swept through a Watford defence caught repeatedly on the turn.

Walcott has waited long enough for this start, 10 months to be exact, but in that time, Wenger said that he had seen the character of the young man he signed in January finally emerge. "You feel there is a strong personality in this boy," Wenger said, explaining that it was the independence of thought that had signalled to him Walcott was ready.

"He is a strange boy because nothing fazes him and you see at that level he can refuse a pass to a big player when he has decided to do something else," Wenger said. "That shows personality and when he is in a finishing position he doesn't give anything away, he wants to finish himself.

"At the moment people are looking for hope, especially from players in the national team - you see how the fans welcome him and how much hope they have for him."

Walcott is unlikely to be given a role to play in the Champions' League match against CSKA Moscow in Russia tomorrow, although Gaël Clichy may well come back into the team after a substitute's appearance on Saturday. A run of four straight wins has taken Arsenal up to fifth with a game in hand and they are in a rude state of health, although their defending does give the opposition some cause for hope.

Watford's defending was occasionally appalling, especially when Thierry Henry turned Jay DeMerit to break free for the second just before half-time, a moment far less excusable than Jordan Stewart accidentally turning Fabregas's free-kick into his own goal earlier. Ben Foster, Watford's goalkeeper, was the away side's outstanding player, distinguishing himself with a fine double stop in the ninth minute.

The potential to be "the best in the world" was Aidy Boothroyd's description of Foster, on loan from Manchester United, who, he added, was "hungry for success" and "maturing like a good wine" - appropriate for a player who once trained as a chef. Foster could do little about Arsenal's third when Fabregas split Watford's defence and Henry squared for Emmanuel Adebayor to score.

Picking the great players of the future, not to mention a good knowledge of wine, is, however, straying into Wenger's territory and he certainly seems to have a good one waiting in Walcott. "You can always say 'Listen you will be a good player' but at some point the boy wants to know you trust him," Wenger said. "That is done now."

Goals: Stewart og (33) 1-0; Henry (43) 2-0; Adebayor (67) 3-0.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Lehmann; Hoyte, Touré, Djourou, Gallas (Clichy, 81); Rosicky (Van Persie, 73), Gilberto, Fabregas, Walcott (Hleb, 64); Henry, Adebayor. Substitutes not used: Almunia (gk), Song.

Watford (4-4-2): Foster; Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart; Smith (Henderson, h-t), Francis, Mahon, Bouazza (Powell, 54); King, Young. Substitutes not used: Lee (gk),Mackay, Spring.

Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire).

Booked: Watford Smith.

Man of the match: Fabregas.

Attendance: 60,018.