Arsenal vs Newcastle: Shocking Willian Outshone by Emile Smith Rowe

Emile Smith Rowe helped Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday.

A game that would ideally have gone by without the introductions of either Emile Smith Rowe or Bukayo Saka, was instead forced to include the pair after another torrid Willian display in an Arsenal shirt.

There is no pleasure derived from repeating these sentiments. Willian crossed the London divide with experience aplenty, yet was a cursed move from the get-go. This was a player comfortable in the city, angling for the longest contract he could to see out the remainder of his top-flight playing career in relative comfort.

Add age to that and why this deal took place continues to evoke befuddlement.

Nobody wants to be criticising the Brazilian. Constantly singling him out for scorn is not enjoyable in any way. The sad reality is that it’s unavoidable at this stage.

Mikel Arteta‘s insistence to keep fielding him despite the wretched, half-arsed performances he’s produced has finally waned. No longer in the Premier League setup, a corner has been turned in that regard. Yet in the case of form slipping away, an FA Cup tie to force the manager into a change of heart would’ve been the ideal platform.

There is no point going into individual points of frustration with Willian, nothing he did offered any indication that his heart is in it, nor that he’s anywhere near the level required. Starting off in the No. 10 role – which in itself adds to the lunacy of signing a 32-year-old in the first place if you’ll just shoehorn him into wherever there is a slot – his impact in 65 minutes was outdone by a 20-year-old.

Willian is the rough. Smith Rowe is a diamond. And at this moment in time, a position that won’t alter, their names shouldn’t even be uttered in the same breath. Arsenal now have a squad player who will cost roughly £20m over the course of the three seasons he’ll spend in north London. Even ‘squad player’ is kind.

Smith Rowe is everything the Brazilian isn’t. He’s being shown up by a youngster with four Premier League starts to his name. One who cares, has work ethic and is daring.

All the effort, in training or otherwise, has to be invested into the youth – there won’t be some sudden turnaround. The youngsters are the future. Don’t dwell on the past.