Theo Walcott

Theo Walcott | Arsenal & England Wonderkid

WALCOTT BENCHED FOR BRIGHTON CLASH

Southampton winger Theo Walcott spent the whole game on the bench ashis team lost two points in the final moments of the gameto draw 1-1 with visitors Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

Ralph Hassenhuttl is the Southampton manager and he named Theo Walcott on the bench for the visit of Brighton in the Premier League with the likes of Nathan Tella and Nathan Redmond preferred to the former Arsenal star on the wings.

Theo Walcott has struggled for playing time in the Southampton team this season and he's no longer a regular in the starting XI like it was obtainable last season while he was on loan at boyhood club Southampton from Everton. England international Walcott spent the final year of his Everton contract at Southampton before the South Coast outfit snapped him up on a two-year free transfer deal this summer. Since he became a permanent signing this summer, Theo Walcott has played eight times for the Saints this season with six of those games coming in the league. The ex-Arsenal player has also featured twice for the Saints in the Carabao Cup this season. He's yet to score or provide an assist this season.

For the Brighton game, Southampton took the lead through Chelsea loanee Armando Broja just before the half hour mark was reached off the assist from his strike partner, Che Adams. Albanian international Broja is on a season-long loan deal at Southampton from Chelsea and he has five goals in all competitions for the Saints thisseason.

Southampton held on to the lead until the eighth minute of added time in the second half when French striker Neal Maupay scored the equaliser for the Seagulls. It was two dropped points for Southampton who were affected negatively by the injury sustained on the part of their first choice goalkeeper Alex McCarthy during the game.