Arsenal welcome back their emerging superstar

Every season is long. Very long. Narratives change, managers change, formations change, lineups change and players drop in and out of form. This campaign has already witnessed change aplenty for Arsenal.

Before the season kicked off there was hope that a top six place could be secured. That was the bare minimum. Just three matches later and the joke was about whether relegation was on the cards. Fast forward to now and it would be majorly disappointing if Arsenal didn’t finish in the top four.

Emile Smith Rowe played a vital role in resetting the course. Handed the No. 10 jersey over the summer when he signed a new contract, he came to life from the Tottenham game omwards, netting five goals and registering two assists in nine matches. There was no dislodging him from the team. That spot out on the left was his for years to come.

All the while Gabriel Martinelli couldn’t get a sniff. Just as Smith Rowe had nailed down his place, it was increasingly difficult to foresee where the Brazilian’s next minutes would come from.

Arsenal welcome back their emerging superstar Emile Smith Rowe as Gabriel Martinelli’s red card rules him out of Premier League clash with Brentford

But the season is long and circumstances change. Often.

One of those came about when Smith Rowe injured his groin in the build up to the defeat at Goodison Park in early December. Forced withdrawal was the only way you could get him out of the team, and seemingly the only way to get Martinelli into it.

For any young player struggling for minutes they have to take their chance when it arises, which is precisely what Martinelli did. He would go on to start the next eight Premier League matches, often restricting Smith Rowe to the bench as he built his fitness back up, all the while the Hale Ender still managed to chip in with three goals as a substitute.

Martinelli’s majesty had achieved the unthinkable: Smith Rowe wasn’t overly missed in the side. Of course he was missed, it’s just that his absence wasn’t as keenly felt on account of how well his teammate performed.

But nobody has forgotten how outstanding Smith Rowe has been this season. He earned his England call-up for a reason. And with suspension ruling out Martinelli for the visit of Brentford on Saturday, Smith Rowe has another chance to remind everyone just how magnificent this emerging superstar is.

Blossoming into this goalscoring wide forward who’d spent most of his career operating centrally, Smith Rowe is one of these players who doesn’t even need to be playing out of his skin to be having a positive influence on the team. The runs he makes, the spaces he drifts into, and the intelligence he injects when in possession are the hallmarks of a player far more mature than he actually is.

At the tender age of 21 years old he remains the Gunners’ top scorer this season with eight Premier League goals, having only started 14 matches in the division. While his contributions haven’t been forgotten, one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity: this is a chance for him to offer a timely reminder to the world just how vital he is to the team.

With Champions League qualification in sight, everyone is looking forward to it.