Walcott treble as seven-up Arsenal sink Newcastle

LONDON (AFP) - Theo Walcott sent a message to Arsene Wenger as the Arsenal forward hit a hat-trick in his side's stunning 7-3 demolition of Newcastle on Saturday.

Walcott, out of contract at the end of the season, faces an uncertain future in north London after Arsenal failed to meet his wage demands, while boss Wenger has been reluctant to play the England winger in his preferred central striking role.

But Wenger has finally allowed Walcott to start up front in recent weeks and the response from the 23-year-old suggests the Gunners should bow to the player's demands to avoid losing yet another star name.

As well as hitting a hat-trick, he provided two assists against Newcastle as Arsenal, with Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski also on the scoresheet, kept the pressure on Tottenham and Chelsea in the race for a top four finish.