Emile Smith Rowe leaves Arsenal with interesting striker decision

Losing Gabriel Martinelli to the latest in a long line of needless red cards filled Arsenal supporters with a sense of disappointment. He had scooped the Player of the Month award for December and January for a reason.

But disappointment from losing one player quickly turns to elation elsewhere. Being forced to take the Brazilian out of the team meant that Emile Smith Rowe would return to the fold. The top scorer for Arsenal this season, there wasn’t a shred of concern over him returning to the Premier League side. Quite the opposite.

The pair offer different propositions out on the left, with Martinelli playing with more chalk on his boots and Smith Rowe operating more in the half-spaces where he can time late runs into the box.

Bottom line, they’re both brilliant. Smith Rowe reminded everyone of that against Brentford with an excellent all-round display, taking the game into his own hands at a delicate stage with a fine individual run and bending finish to break the deadlock.

Emile Smith Rowe leaves Arsenal with interesting striker decision as Gabriel Martinelli’s return from suspension could see Lacazette change

Which, coupled with another mostly ineffective Alexandre Lacazette display, opens up a very real debate: is there any conceivable way that Arsenal can afford not to play Martinelli and Smith Rowe at the same time?

It’s growing increasingly difficult to make an argument against the captain being dropped in place of one of them. Because as long as he’s in the team, one of them is going to be on the bench. That’s less of a slight on him and more of an appraisal at two of the Gunners’ greater attacking threats.

There is a lot to consider in making such a call. For Arteta it’s unlikely that Lacazette will ever lose his place unless something drastic happens, as the physical nuisance he is disrupting opposition defences and playing with his back to goal are traits nobody else in the squad possesses.

Bypassing the physical and tactical aspect of the discussion, playing all of the fantastic four at once severely limits Arsenal’s options off the bench. If the game is tied or Arsenal are chasing a late winner, you’re looking at Nicolas Pepe, Lacazette or Eddie Nketiah for inspiration. The options become less glamorous.

It’s also important to note how beneficial healthy competition has been for the young players in this squad. Martinelli has basked in it, taking his opportunity, while Smith Rowe raised his game to a new level when he was competing with Martin Odegaard during his initial loan spell.

The temptation is unbearable, though. The versatility of this front four makes the idea even tougher to repel, as Martinelli and Smith Rowe would bring their own unique dynamic to the centre-forward position.

As for who to leave out, off the back of a fine outing against Brentford there is no reason for Smith Rowe not to keep his spot in the team. The onus is now on Martinelli to step up his game and when his next chance arrives, and wrestle back his position. Or, at the very least, intensify Arteta’s headache and really force him to consider a change at centre-forward.

This is the definition of competition. It’s how you obtain the highest level from all your players. For the present, which is all on Thursday’s clash with Wolves, that’s the best course of action.