Impressive Smith Rowe emergence buys Arsenal time in the transfer market
Money is tight at Arsenal this month, that goes without saying. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is hoping to use the January transfer window to strengthen his side, notably in the final third, with a creative midfielder the priority.
Arsenal were heavily linked with two midfielders over the summer - Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey of Lyon at Atletico Madrid, respectively. They eventually signed the latter on deadline day. However, Mesut Ozil's expulsion from first team duties leaves the club without a player to pry apart defences and it has shown this season.
The north London side are among the lowest scorers in the Premier League in 2020/21, netting just 20 times in their opening 17 matches, that fewer than relegation threatened Brighton (21).
Aouar, Julian Brandt and Emiliano Buendia have all been linked with a move to Arsenal, but at present, none will be moving to capital in January, which could have threatened to wreck the second half of their season. A four-match winning run has lifted the gloom that had engulfed the Emirates in recent weeks, with Arteta looking to his younger players to help improve their fortunes on the pitch, a tactic that has evidently worked and gives the team a boost as we kick into 2021.
A key reason for that upturn in form has been the showings of Emile Smith Rowe, who has gone from promising youngster to key man in a matter of matches. The 20-year-old netted the opener in their FA Cup third round meeting with Newcastle, coming off the bench to play an influential role at the Emirates, and it means he has now had a direct hand in a goal in six of his eight appearances for Arsenal in 2020/21.
That it took until the Boxing Day 3-1 win over Chelsea for Smith Rowe to make his first league appearance of the season is a poor reflection on Arteta, but since coming into the side, both player and club have not looked back. Arsenal have won all three league matches the midfielder has featured in and while a small sample size, Smith Rowe is now Arsenal's best rated player in the Premier League with a WhoScored rating of 7.14.
Arteta and the coaching staff were evidently aware of Smith Rowe's quality in the final third having used the player in three of six Europa League matches, but even so, he started just the once. With two assists to his name in the Europa League and two in the Premier League, it means Smith Rowe has registered more assists (4) than any other Arsenal player across both competitions, despite playing just 350 minutes.
He brings that youthful exuberance to the side and a fearlessness to his game that has been found wanting when he hasn't played and it's reflected in that his 2.3 key passes per 90 ranks top of all Arsenal players in the Premier League this season. The build up to Bukayo Saka's goals in their 4-0 win over West Brom, where he linked up brilliantly with Saka and Alexandre Lacazette, is exactly what the Gunners have needed in the final third on more than one occasion this season.
The spark and movement that comes whenever he receives possession in the opposition half bamboozles defences, and, perhaps crucially, buys Arsenal time in the transfer market. Piling the pressure on a player so young comes with its risks, but Smith Rowe seems to thrive with the weight of expectations on his shoulders. Could Arsenal now get away with not having to spend in the market given his emergence?
It's a tough one to call, because he is evidently a player who needs ample game time to continue to improve, but if Smith Rowe were to pick up an injury and need a spell on the sidelines, then Arsenal are back to square one. Yet, as alluded to, Smith Rowe's rise buys the club time and, with each passing week, lessens the need to bring in a creative midfielder this month, potentially saving Arsenal money in the process and allowing a talented youngster the opportunity to develop accordingly.
