After four months on the sidelines and a minor setback with regard to his recovery, Emile Smith Rowe has returned to action for Arsenal as he played the final 15 minutes in their FA Cup tie against Oxford United on Monday night.
Prior to this appearance, the last time the attacking midfielder had been seen in a Gunners shirt was September 4 last year when he came off the bench in the 3-1 loss at the hands of Manchester United. Since then, he's undergone groin surgery and has been working hard in training to ensure he can play a big part during the second half of the season.
Not deemed ready to play in any of Arsenal's Premier League games after the World Cup break, the FA Cup third-round tie offered Smith Rowe a chance to build up his match sharpness and football.london kept close tabs on how the 22-year-old got on at the Kassam Stadium.
READ MORE: Arsenal player ratings vs Oxford Utd as Nketiah bags brace and Smith Rowe enjoys glowing cameo
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The moment many of the travelling Arsenal supporters were waiting for came in the 75th minute when Smith Rowe took the place of Bukayo Saka, who required treatment for a knock - although it has since been confirmed that he is fine and should be OK for the North London Derby on Sunday.
As for Smith Rowe, he took up a position on the left-wing where he performed to great effect last season with Gabriel Martinelli swapping over to the right-hand side which had been vacated by Saka.
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It was almost the dream return for Smith Rowe as he saw a deflected effort drop narrowly wide of the post, an unusually poor first touch meant the ball got stuck under his feet and that meant he wasn't able to strike the ball with his usual cleanness. Perhaps when he is fully up to speed the outcome will be much different.
Interestingly, the 22-year-old drifted centrally - taking up Martin Odegaard's usual position as the right-sided No. 8 in a midfield three after Marquinhos had replaced Fabio Vieira. Once again a lack of match sharpness was on show which lead to him giving the ball away at one point.
Verdict:
It's impossible to judge Smith Rowe's performance on a 15-minute cameo, especially after being out for so long as he is going to need a run of games before he's anything near his best. But to show some good touches and almost get on the scoresheet is an encouraging sign and Arteta was delighted with the runout.
"Yeah good, obviously it’s been four months since he played so I think it was the perfect game to give him some minutes to get off the blocks," the Arsenal manager said in his post-match press conference. "Now he needs to start to get available and start to play at the highest level because we’re going to need him."
Now, there are a couple of takeaways from this return. One is the roles the Hale End graduate took up after coming on. Firstly operating out wide before switching to a more central position all in the space of 15 minutes doubles down on what the Arsenal manager has said recently.
Secondly, whilst it's good news for Arsenal that Smith Rowe is available for selection again, the fact he didn't start confirms will be eased back into the fold: "He’s been out for a while now – he needs some time to get back to speed," the Spanish tactician told reporters last month. "We really need him and we’re going to welcome him with both arms, because he’s a really important player for us. We need him fit on the pitch."
Smith Rowe finishing the game in midfield might be a hint as to where he will be used for the remainder of the season. If that's the case then considering Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson are still a few weeks away from a return and Marquinhos not in favour, the Gunners' need for reinforcements in attack has been highlighted even further.
So, if the 22-year-old's return provides extra depth in midfield, perhaps it can also help Arsenal accelerate a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhaylo Mudryk as signing the Ukraine international would take the pressure off Eddie Nketiah, Saka and Martinelli and add the necessary firepower to help Arteta's side achieve their goals, as well as scoring them.
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