Arsenal Vs Nottingham Forest: Can Emile Smith Rowe take the next step?

Emile Smith Rowe could be in line to feature for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night. Can the 19-year-old take the next step in his development?

Bukayo Saka was a surprise start for Arsenal against Eintracht Frankfurt last Thursday. The 18-year-old was thrust into the line-up with Unai Emery rotating through his squad as he looked to rest more senior players and provide starting chances for his burgeoning young talent.

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Saka repaid Emery’s faith in his talent with a sensational performance, scoring a tremendous goal, curling in from the edge of the penalty area, and teeing up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a nice pressure and pass in the closing stages. Because of his excellent showing, Emery then threw him into the fire once more, starting him against Aston Villa at the weekend.

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But Saka was not the only surprising starter on that Thursday. Emile Smith Rowe also featured, playing opposite of Saka on the right flank. The 19-year-old did not perform as explosively as his fellow academy graduate and he was withdrawn midway through the second half, but there were some nice moments here and there, especially when he corralled the ball and drifted into central areas from off that right flank.

After the match, Emery explained that Smith Rowe has not played much football in 2019 and was very happy with his performance, stating that he intends to work the midfielder into more playing time as the season progresses. And that should start on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup third-round tie against Nottingham Forest.

Smith Rowe is expected to start on Tuesday, potentially even in a central position, where he is better suited. As Saka proved last week, should Smith Rowe put in a positive performance, he will be rewarded for his display with more playing opportunities, most specifically in the Premier League.

And this is the next step in his career. If Smith Rowe is to deliver on his talent, he must establish himself as a part of the Premier League rotation, just as Saka is starting to, as Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson seemingly already have.

The transition from prospective young player to reliable first-team contributor is a difficult one. Many talented individuals fall by the wayside during this period, failing to ever make the leap. Smith Rowe is presently in the heart of this process. To come out the other side, he must keep taking steps forward, and that begins with a positive performance against Forest to earn more playing time.

Saka has paved the way for those that follow. He proved that Emery is willing to field young players if they illustrate that they are ready for such responsibility. Smith Rowe has the talent to take on a greater role, but he has to prove as much.