Forgotten man Emile Smith-Rowe gets standing ovation after classy display to give Arsenal timely boost in title race
EMILE SMITH ROWE reminded Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal faithful of his talents in the 2-0 win over Luton.
The midfielder earned a rare start in place of Jorginho and repaid the faith shown by his manager.
Smith Rowe picked up the Player of the Match award thanks in part to the role he played in both Gunners goals.
He pinched the ball off Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu in the build-up to the opener and supplied the cross that Luton defender Daiki Hashioka bundled in for the second.
But it was his ability to drive Arsenal up the pitch which proved most useful on a night where Luton tried to frustrate the table toppers.
Smith Rowe, 23, covered plenty of ground in his first start for two months, particularly on the left flank where he linked up well with Leandro Trossard.
He won 100 per cent of his tackles and made two interceptions – but it was in attack where he had the biggest influence.
A return of 55 touches from his 85 minutes show how involved he was, with five of those coming inside the Luton penalty area.
Smith Rowe made several touches and passes in and around the Hatters box while his four passes into the attacking final third helped to advance his side up the pitch.
He also created two chances on a night where clear-cut opportunities proved hard to come by for the Gunners.
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Perhaps most impressive was his composure in the lead up to the second goal, with a perfect low cross Reiss Nelson should have turned home instead of Hashioka.
Above all Smith Rowe and Arteta will be pleased he completed 85 minutes unscathed, with the Arsenal boss praising him after the match.
He said: “I love him Smith-Rowe as a player. It’s a joy to watch him.
“He can help with all his skills. He’s a joy to watch, he helped us a lot to win the game also today”