Mikel Arteta was absolutely delighted by what he saw from one of his Arsenal players against Luton Town on Wednesday night.
Several Arsenal fringe stars were given a chance to impress against Luton Town at the Emirates Stadium.
Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey were handed rare Premier League starts against the Hatters, whilst Reiss Nelson made his first start in the top flight of the season so far.
As a fan favourite in north London, Arsenal supporters will have been desperate to see Smith Rowe take this opportunity to shine.
The 23-year-old’s career has stalled in the last couple of seasons, as recurrent injuries and a fall down the pecking order have meant that he hasn’t been handed a run of starts during this period. There can be no doubting his talent though, and he has the potential to be an important figure in Mikel Arteta’s team.
Emile Smith Rowe shines for Arsenal v Luton Town
The Hale End academy graduate was able to impress against Luton. He had an important role to play in both of the Gunners’ goals and also caught the eye with his diligent defensive work. Arsenal fans were delighted with what they saw from Smith Rowe on Wednesday evening.
The three-cap England international will now be hoping that he did enough to convince Arteta to rely upon him more heavily in the coming weeks. The fixtures will come thick and fast for Arsenal over the course of the run-in, and there is pressure on the north London outfit to win every single match. Arteta will need to lean on the strength in depth of his squad to negotiate this period, but he will only turn to players he trusts.
Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott feels that Smith Rowe can be a “game-changer” for the Gunners at this stage in the campaign. Certainly, if the midfielder can maintain his form and fitness for the rest of the season then he has the capacity to have a hugely important impact.
Mikel Arteta heaps praise on Emile Smith Rowe
Speaking after the triumph over Luton, Arteta was effusive in his praise of Smith Rowe. As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, reporting on X, the Spanish coach said, “I love him, Smith Rowe, as a player. It’s a joy to watch him. He can help with all his skills. He’s a joy to watch, he helped us a lot to win the game also today.”
It will be fascinating to see if he is handed another start this season, but there is clearly a place for the player in the manager’s plans.
According to Romano, Smith Rowe’s future at Arsenal may well depend upon the impact he is able to have in what remains of this season. If that is the case then he has already made encouraging progress.
