Arsenal Vs Blackpool: Emile Smith Rowe’s stage is set

Emile Smith Rowe is expected to start in Arsenal’s EFL Cup fourth-round match against Blackpool. The stage is once again set for the youngster to shine.

The EFL Cup, or the Carabao Cup or the League Cup or whatever you want to call it, is often an opportunity that managers take to offer senior playing time to young prospects that would not otherwise get to feature heavily in the normal rhythms of the league season.

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Arsene Wenger often developed some of his brightest talents in this competition. Jack Wilshere, Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin all made their full debuts for Arsenal in this competitions. And now, in Wenger’s wake, Unai Emery is ostensibly taking the same approach.

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The prospect that he has thrust into the line-up who is clearly one of Emery’s most gifted and highly regarded talents is Emile Smith Rowe. Having turned 18 in the summer, Smith Rowe burst onto the scene in the preseason, putting together a string of vibrant performances that showcased his pure ability and inexorable potential. And now he is getting the chance to further display his quality in the EFL Cup, as well as sometimes in the Europa League.

On Wednesday, in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Smith Rowe is expected to start against Blackpool. This is his chance to shine. The stage is set. Smith Rowe did start in the win over Brentford in the previous round, but he was largely disappointing in the number 10 position. Industrious, energetic, committed. But what he tried on the ball rarely came off. He looked nervous, understandably given his age and the occasion. This, then, is a chance to make amends.

Where Smith Rowe will play is perhaps the most interesting question to ponder prior to kick-off. Emery has used almost all of his attacking players interchangeably this season. Only Alexandre Lacazette has started in just one position all year. And Smith Rowe, such is his intelligence, positional awareness and understated nuance, has the ability to play in almost all of the attacking positions.

Naturally, he is best-suited to playing centrally as the creative fulcrum of the midfield. And Emery likely sees him that way considering that’s the position that he played him in last time out. But is the responsibility of playing perhaps the most important role in the game too much for the floppy-haired teenager?

Wherever Smith Rowe plays, I will simply be happy to watch him strut his stuff once more. He is thought of as the most talented youngster to come from the academy since Jack Wilshere. And it is always a joy to see young, local lads come through the system and break into the first team.

That is precisely what Smith Rowe is doing right now. The stage is set. And I will be sitting on the front row.