Arsenal Vs Everton: Youth struggled, but that’s okay

Arsenal played a youthful team including Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe against Everton on Saturday. The young players struggled, but that’s okay.

It was one of the most exciting team selections of the season. Freddie Ljungberg, in his final game as Arsenal interim head coach, handed the keys of the car over to teenagers. He started the players he wanted to, dropped those he did not want to play, and put the Gunners’ youth on display.

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They largely struggled. While they dominated proceedings after the first half-hour, especially in the second half, and looked largely comfortable for much of the game, Everton lacking much threat in the final third, on an individual basis, the burgeoning youngsters who so many were so excited to watch play struggled.

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Specifically, Reiss Nelson lost possession with painful frequency on the right side, playing without the freedom and confidence that he previously showed when he first burst onto the scene. Those driving dribbles, surging runs in behind and skilful slaloms were nowhere to be seen as he retreated into his shell and played noticeably within himself.

Emile Smith Rowe was also thrust into the central attacking midfield position in a 4-2-3-1, the most important role in the entire team. He shone for a brief 30 minutes when introduced for Mesut Ozil last weekend but failed to have a genuine impact this time around. Bar an encouraging ten-minute period in the second half before being substituted, in which he found pockets of space in between the lines and looked to thread passes in behind the Everton defence, he struggled to truly imprint himself on the Everton defence.

But for Ljungberg, this was a step in the right direction. As he stated after the match, he was extremely proud of the team that he selected and the performance that they produced:

"“What I put on here today, I know they’re young and don’t have any experience – some even made their Premier League debuts and we had an 18-year-old at left back who’s a winger – but they did really, really well and dominated a game against Everton away from home. We, as a club, should be very proud of that.”"

Whether this is an accurate assessment of the match can be qualmed, but the overall philosophy, one of giving youth a chance, is something to be admired and replicated. And this philosophy must come with a required patience, mercy and awareness. Teenagers are going to make mistakes, put in poor performances, suffer from natural inconsistencies as they grow and develop. These type of matches are inevitable.

What is crucial is that they are given the chance to make these errors, to learn from them, to adapt, to grow, to improve, and to be handed further starting opportunities in spite of poor performances. This is not to say that they should start with blind loyalty, of course, but criticising them and dropping them from the team after one or two matches is silly.

Smith Rowe, Nelson, even Gabriel Martinelli, they struggled against Everton. But actually, that is quite alright.