The Gunners' academy graduate helped kickstart the Mikel Arteta revolution, but is now surplus to requirements in north London
Mikel Arteta currently enjoys close to unanimous support among the Arsenal fanbase, but this has not always been the case. During the dystopian, 'Project Restart' era back in December 2020, the Spaniard's approval ratings were through the floor.
Heading into a Boxing Day meeting with Chelsea that season, Arsenal were floundering all the way down in 15th place, having not tasted victory in seven matches. With the fanbase on the brink of revolt, defeat to their London rivals might have genuinely spelled the end for Arteta's reign.
The omens weren't great heading into the pivotal contest either, with the Gunners' Brazilian duo Willian and David Luiz being ruled out through injury. The former's absence forced Arteta into a change of shape, with academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe used as a No.10 while youngsters Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka came in as wingers.
It was bold, but it proved to be a turning point in Arteta's coaching journey. The energetic front four put in one of their side's most coherent attacking displays of the campaign, with Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Saka all netting in a 3-1 victory.
At the centre of it all, though, was Smith Rowe. Popping up wherever he was required across the attacking line and showing a refreshing degree of verve and fearlessness, his introduction to the starting XI was the spark Arteta's project desperately needed.
Getty ImagesKeeping wolves from the door
After that Chelsea result, Smith Rowe cemented his standing as one of Arteta's most trusted lieutenants. In the 23 Premier League games that followed, Arsenal would be defeated just five times, having lost eight of their opening 14 prior to his introduction.
His importance to the cause was not lost on his manager, either. Speaking about Smith Rowe and Saka's remarkable rise followin a 3-0 victory over Newcastle in January, Arteta beamed: "I know what they are capable of doing. They put a smile on my face. That is merit to them and their team-mates," he told .
"Their performances were extraordinary. The expectation will be high with them so we have to take them through the right path. It's a mixture of energy, passion and a little bit of immaturity at times, which is good as you don't play as tense. They did really well."
Arsenal's strong end to the season eventually propelled them to an eight-placed finish – which was enough to buy Arteta another season of rebuilding. And Smith Rowe would continue to be a major part of his plans moving forward.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesNext great hope
After a slow start to the 2021-22 campaign, Arsenal sprung to life in the North London derby – and Smith Rowe had an exceptional afternoon. Playing off the left wing, he was allowed to float around thanks to the presence of the free-flying and width-providing Kieran Tierney. It didn't take him long to make the most of his freedom, either, as Smith Rowe arrived perfectly in the box to convert Saka's cutback in the 12th minutes.
A quarter-hour later, he turned provider. After galloping past Japhet Tanganga, he spotted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and rolled a pinpoint cross into his path to help make it 2-0. Arsenal would go on to secure a 3-1 victory and, following a string of similarly influential displays that autumn, Smith Rowe received the honour of his life: a senior England call up.
"I didn’t know what to do. I was star struck at the time. I was stuttering, I didn’t know what to say. I just said ‘Oh wow, thank you so much'," he recalled ahead of his maiden Three Lions cap against Albania, where he came on to replace Raheem Sterling with the team already 5-0 up. He'd even get a start against San Marino a few days later, scoring and assisting in a 10-0 thumping of the minnows.
At club level, progress off the pitch was being made too, as Smith Rowe looked to transition from exciting talent to consistent Premier League difference-maker.
"I didn’t used to eat that well," he told around the time of his England honours. "I wasn’t drinking that well. Before games, I wasn’t really that hydrated. I’ve tried now to focus so much on it. Arsenal are strict but I didn’t really listen, to be honest. I think that’s where I went wrong. Now I’m listening all the time."
The Gunners clearly saw Smith Rowe as an important part of their future, even paying for a private chef to cook for him and his mother, while he himself made the ultimate sacrifice by cutting down on Nando's and chocolate.
Getty ImagesEverything changes
Having committed to a healthier lifestyle, and with Arteta still singing his praise in the press, it felt like the only way was up for Smith Rowe in summer 2022. However, everything would change after one fateful transfer window.
Admittedly, there had been a few hints that Smith Rowe's status as a starter was under threat the previous year, with Martin Odegaard emerging as his manager's most-trusted No.10 and Martinelli proving difficult to shift from the left-wing spot. But if you'd told Arsenal fans around this time that he would scarcely contribute to the team again, they would have struggled to believe you.
In hindsight, we should have seen the decline coming. The arrival of the inverting Oleksandr Zinchenko in July 2022 spelled the end of Tierney's first-team chances, with Smith Rowe only ever really working as a left-sided forward when he had a full-back overlapping him.
Getty ImagesStagnation
Meanwhile, Arteta effectively doing away with an out-and-out No.10 in his new system meant Smith Rowe's best chance of minutes in 2022-23 were going to come as a left-sided No.8. It's a role he never seemed a snug fit for, and Xhaka's exceptional form soon dispelled any notions that he'd be first choice.
Smith Rowe's prospects where further harmed by a string of niggling injuries that campaign. He missed the opening stages of the season with a groin problem, and once he was fit again, Arsenal were leading the title race, meaning opportunities to break into the fold were at a premium.
Last season was a similar story. After opting to remain at the Emirates, despite rumours linking him with a move away, Smith Rowe would start just four games in all competitions. When he was involved, he fared pretty well. But considering his electric start to life as a Gunner, it was hard not to feel like this period of stagnation would have been much better spent elsewhere.