Does Emile Smith Rowe still have a future at Arsenal?

Since being passed fit in January, Emile Smith Rowe has managed a total of 87 minutes in the league for Arsenal and has been overlooked in the last two games, despite his team needing goals late on.

Smith Rowe has publicly talked about his struggles, telling Sky Sports: “It’s been tough, man. Definitely the hardest season of my career so far. It’s been frustrating, but I’m happy with where the team are at the moment.”

Does Emile Smith Rowe still have a future at Arsenal?

It has been a big fall for the England international, who finished last season with ten goals and two assists in 21 starts, after spending much of the season alternating with Gabriel Martinelli on the left.

This year, he has been hit hard by injury and his lack of minutes in 2023 could be a mere precaution after he underwent surgery to fix a nagging groin issue. However, he has been fit enough for the bench on many occasions, and the club say he is fit.

Mikel Arteta has always spoken positively of Smith Rowe, but has also never been scared to challenge him and has said: “He needs to prove how much he wants to win, and how much he’s going to contribute to this team to be better and win. And he’s going to have to show that to get in the team.”

Those comments may concern some, especially when he has been overlooked while Arsenal have needed goals. However, it would suggest that Arteta is simply more impressed with others in training.

It is also worth noting that since Smith Rowe has broken into the Arsenal team, Arteta has signed Martin Odegaard, Fabio Vieira and Leandro Trossard, who all have similarities to him, and have all jumped ahead of him in the pecking order.

While this could be down to his injury record, there is perhaps something more to it as he has been linked with a move away from the club on numerous occasions.

From Smith Rowe’s perspective, it is difficult to prove himself without stepping on the pitch. He has been named in the squad for the last nine games but has only managed to get on the grass on four occasions, totting up 67 minutes – 47 of which came against Bournemouth.

With so few minutes coming his way, it suggests that Arteta trusts others ahead of him. Trossard is undoubtedly Arsenal’s first sub, and the one pushing the closest for a start, but the worry for Smith Rowe is that Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira were preferred on Sunday, despite his proven ability to grab goals from the bench.

The next seven games will be huge for Smith Rowe, who will be desperate to show he can cut it at Arsenal, and as a fan favourite with a unique set of skills, there will be plenty of Gooners praying he can recover his best form, as no one wants to see him leave the club.