Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle Utd: Walcott is centre of attention THEO Walcott gave Arsene Wenger yet another reminder of his goal-scoring talents as he bagged a stunning hat-trick to sink Newcastle in an extraordinary match. Scorers: Arsenal: Walcott 20, 73, 90; Oxlade-Chamberlain 50; Podolski 64; Giroud 84, 87; Newcastle United: Ba 42, 69; Marveaux 59 Wenger had talked up Walcott as the next Thierry Henry on Friday, and the England forward - still to pen a new deal with the club - did little to disprove that idea, scoring three excellent goals and setting up two more to give Arsenal the win that ensures they will end 2012 in fifth place. Arsenal's record scorer Henry was in the stands watching and he was on his feet after 20 minutes thanks to Walcott's opener - a fine curled finish. Newcastle pulled level through Demba Ba, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored, only for Ba to grab his second to make it 2-2. Arsenal looked set for a disappointing draw after Sylvain Marveaux equalised Lukasz Podolski's header, but Walcott turned on the class to put the Gunners 4-3 up. The former Southampton man set up Olivier Giroud twice and added his much-deserved third in injury time with a deft chip over Tim Krul. Walcott has scored four goals and won one decisive penalty in the three games he has started up front and he now has 14 for the season. He now hopes he can win a regular starting role up front. "I enjoy playing in whatever position but it was just telling the manager to give me the opportunities to play up front," he told ESPN. I'm not saying I'm always going to play up front but it's just showing what I can do but hopefully I've opened a few eyes and it's just a different option. Wenger was thrilled with Walcott's performance, although the Frenchman hinted he is not yet ready to pick the 23-year-old in a regular striking berth. "We cannot ask much more than three goals and the performance he gave today," Wenger said. I said I'm convinced that he can play in there - he has qualities - and he can only improve the more he plays there. He can play in the other position on the left, right or through the middle and it is good because Giroud is basically a centre-forward only so I can play the two together. Walcott, wearing a beaming smile, walked off the pitch with the match-ball amid chants of "sign him up" from the home crowd.