"When will he get his chance?", "Beyond silly" - Arsenal fans slam Arteta's decision not to start 23-year-old attacker vs West Ham
Arsenal face West Ham United at the Emirates tonight (December 28) but there's no place in Mikel Arteta's starting lineup for Emile Smith Rowe once again.
Smith Rowe has endured a difficult season, lacking first-team opportunities for the Gunners. The English attacker has started just two of 10 games across competitions, providing one assist.
There was speculation over the England U21 international's future this past summer. Chelsea were reportedly considering a late swoop for the versatile playmaker.
However, Smith Rowe remained at Arsenal perhaps expecting more game time which hasn't arrived. Arteta spoke about his situation back in September regarding lacking a starting role (via football.london):
"There's been many reasons why he hasn't started a match. He was out for a long, long time. He had a sequence of matches that he played with the national team, then he came in and didn't participate."
Still, Smith Rowe has failed to earn a place in the Gunners' starting lineup tonight. He has been selected on the bench against a tricky West Ham side.
Arteta has opted to go with David Raya in goal, with Ben White, Gabriel Maghalaes, and Oleksandr Zinchenko in defense.
Meanwhile, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are joined by Leandro Trossard in midfield. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli make up a familiar front three.
One fan thinks Smith Rowe should have been given an opportunity:
"Been fearing this moment more than I should be, if he doesn’t start on a night like this (ESR), when will he get his chance? Looks like he’ll be gone by the end of January, and we can’t blame him."
Another fan echoed those sentiments by suggesting the player be sold next year:
"Trossard is not a midfielder. If ESR cannot play now then he should be sold when 2024 begins. It's beyond silly now."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Smith Rowe's omission:
West Ham boss David Moyes applauds Mikel Arteta for his rebuild of Arsenal
West Ham boss David Moyes waxed lyrical about Arteta, praising his job in rebuilding the Gunners. The Spaniard played under the Scottish coach during his playing days at Everton.
Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019 and has been a massive success at the Emirates. He has transformed a stagnating Gunners side into title challengers, and he has also been excellent in recruitment.
Moyes touched on this when lauding his former Everton captain. He alluded to Arteta winning silverware during his four years with the north Londoners (via The Daily Mail):
"I’ve been impressed with Mikel since he first went in. He won the FA Cup and the Community Shield, so a couple of wins right at the start."
There was some doubts over Arteta's future at Arsenal during the early stages. But, the Gunners' hierarchy stuck by him and he even signed a new three-year contract in May 2022.
Moyes feels the Spanish tactician has proven his doubters wrong:
"Then obviously it went a bit difficult and there was a lot of talk about him, but he hasn’t half proved all those doubters wrong because he’s done a brilliant job with Arsenal."
Arteta has overseen 123 wins in 206 games in charge of Arsenal. A Premier League title triumph could soon be around the corner if his side continue their red-hot form.