Mikel Arteta's most recent comments on Emile Smith Rowe have raised eyebrows among the Arsenal faithful who are preparing themselves for a frantic finish for top four this season.
The Spaniard has insisted the midfielder could be deployed as a traditional number nine, despite boasting limited physical attributes many would associate with a player in that position.
“I think he can play in four positions," Arteta explained following Saturday's 2-1 home win over Brentford.
"As a left winger, a left attacking midfielder, a right attacking midfielder and he can play as a nine, very, very well."
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The Gunners took the bold step of opting against signing a striker in the January transfer window, despite the fact they allowed former talismanic forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave for the bright lights of FC Barcelona following a disciplinary breach.
As a result, most of the Arsenal fanbase have questioned where the goals will come from as they look to secure Champions League football for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign.
Their current options in terms of their striking department are hardly prolific in Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.
The pair have 10 goals between them across all competitions this season, with all five of Nketiah's coming in the Carabao Cup.
Both are also expired to leave at the end of the season once their respective contracts expire, but that will be of little concern to the Arsenal faithful who are simply desperate for that fourth spot come May.
As things stand, the most likely candidate to score the goals that will get them there is attacking midfielder Smith Rowe.
The England international has the same amount of goals across all competitions as Lacazette and Nketiah combined, while nine of his 10 have come where it matters most - the Premier League.
This would suggest Smith Rowe can do a job in his potential new role, but previous evidence would prove it is easier said than done.
For the first-leg of Arsenal's Europa League semi-final away at Villarreal, Smith Rowe was used as a false nine while the Gunners played the game with no recognised striker.
Though the requirements from a false nine and a traditional number nine differ, it is unclear which one Arteta meant with his recent comments and Smith Rowe's performance in Spain would suggest he could struggle to do either.
The 94 minutes passed him by with just one shot on goal and 32 passes made, offering very little threat of his own while the amount of chances Arsenal created indicates he hardly did a stellar job in terms of providing for his teammates.
His heat map marked a performance that saw him most prominent in areas Arsenal will deem him of little use given goals are what they currently need most.
Smith Rowe is playing like a man who should very much be left to continue his form without any tweaking or tactical shifts.
The 21-year-old will be crucial to any hopes Arsenal have of returning to the European elite next season.
