Arsenal returned to form by hitting five goals past Crystal Palace on Saturday but it was one of the players not on the scoresheet who made a point to Mikel Arteta.
After two straight Premier League defeats, the Spanish boss was able to reflect on an emphatic return to form, with centre-back Gabriel opening the scoring before a Dean Henderson own goal, Leandro Trossard, and a late brace from Gabriel Martinelli completed the rout.
But it was the performance of substitute Emile SmithRowe that provided another plus point. The 23-year-old replaced the ineffective Kai Havertz in the 69th minute, and added an extra dimension to the Gunners in the final quarter.
Frequently taking the ball on the half turn, he revelled in the space as Palace tried in vain to push forward and pull back a goal. And his display was appreciated by home fans, with many taking to social media after the final whistle to praise the youngster.
It was a timely reminder to Arteta of his worth and versatility as speculation mounts over his future. This week, Arsenal reportedly rejected an approach from West Ham to take him on loan for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.
Smith-Rowe is currently contracted until the summer of 2026, meaning the club are in the position of being able to demand a sizeable transfer fee. But the fact the North London outfit have opted to keep him on board this season implies he remains a valued squad member, and on the evidence of Saturday is worthy of challenging Havertz for a starting place.
Indeed, the three-cap international will now look to revitalise an Arsenal career that has stalled since his breakthrough 2020/21 season. In that campaign, he made 33 Premier League appearances and scored 10 times.
His form duly caught the eye of Gareth Southgate, with his first England goal coming in a 10-0 rout in San Marino in November 2021. But he’s failed to score for club or country since that season, with injuries since derailing him after undergoing groin surgery in late 2022 and then needing knee surgery last October.
Smith Rowe’s importance could not be exacerbated further by a potential injury to Declan Rice. Just moments after being introduced, Rice ominously mouthed the word ‘hammy’ to his teammate as he left the field in discomfort.
Arteta admitted afterwards that Rice was replaced due to a hamstring problem, but said it was too early to know the extent of the damage. Losing their record signing for a prolonged period would be a savage blow to Arsenal, with a pivotal home game with Liverpool and a Champions League last-16 tie with Porto coming up in February.