Arsene Wenger has claimed that forward Theo Walcott can be the "prolific goalscorer" that Arsenal need after the Frenchman failed to sign a striker during the summer.

Preferred to Olivier Giroud up front, the England international opened the scoring in this afternoon's 2-0 victory over Stoke City for his first of the Premier League season.

Wenger came under fire for refusing to bolster his striking options in the transfer window, but the 65-year-old says that Walcott - who has spent most of his Arsenal career as a winger - can gradually become the Gunners' talisman.

"He has chances. He can be a prolific goalscorer," Wenger, whose side moved second in the table, told the club's official website.

"When you come out of the game and look at the amount of chances he scored. The bigger the belief he has to score the more he will score. But he gets in good situations."

Giroud, who replaced Walcott in the final quarter, added a second with a header on 85 minutes.