Emile Smith Rowe has become quite the enigma at Arsenal. A player of enormous promise, his stock rose dramatically following a strong end to the 20/21 season. This saw him rewarded with the iconic number ten shirt and a new long-term deal to match. He has now been linked with a move away from Arsenal, with West Ham United showing an interest.
Fast forward through the 21/22 season and things continued to flourish for the Hale End graduate. Notching an impressive ten league goals, including strikes against Tottenham and Chelsea, Smith Rowe confirmed himself as a valuable first-team player.
The following summer saw much change in the Arsenal starting XI. The arrival of Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, as well as the reintegration of William Saliba seemingly elevated Arsenal.
Emile Smith Rowe’s Misfortune with Injuries
Emile Smith Rowe missed out though with a reoccurring groin injury. This allowed Gabriel Martinelli the opportunity to cement himself into the left-wing position. He did not miss his opportunity. While Smith Rowe endured an injury-ravaged year, Martinelli scored 15 times in the Premier League, asserting himself firmly as the first-choice left winger.
Embed from Getty ImagesSmith Rowe has played less than 500 minutes of senior football under his belt since the beginning of the 22/23 season. His only Premier League start this season came in the 5-0 win over Sheffield United. Deputising for Martin Odegaard, he performed well and looked sharp. In the coming days, however, he found more frustration with yet another injury.
Upcoming Opportunities
Across the winter break, Arsenal trained in Dubai and Smith Rowe reportedly excelled throughout the week. However, towards the end of the training camp news broke that West Ham United had approached Arsenal over his potential signing.
Arteta was questioned about this in his pre-match press conference before the Crystal Palace game. His message was clear: “We’re really happy to have him here.”
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If Saturday is anything to go by, then the trust between the manager and the player remains. Smith Rowe was brought on for the final 20 minutes and produced a tidy performance in the much-maligned left-eight role.
The crowd’s reaction was notable following his introduction, with Smith Rowe’s name roared throughout the terraces. The opportunity is there and it is clear that supporters want him to succeed. If he can stay fit, then a valuable asset is available to Arteta.
Before the break, a misfiring Arsenal frustrated supporters, and whilst those challenges were allayed somewhat on Saturday, they’ll be hoping for a continued upshot to their attack in the coming games.
Will that lead to further opportunities for Smith Rowe? Or are we witnessing the start of a prolonged goodbye? Only time will tell.
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