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 – and provided a timely boost as the title race hots up.
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.
Expert analysis
SUNSPORT's Jordan Davies was at the Emirates to witness Smith Rowe's performance. This was his verdict...
For the first time in a long time, Smith Rowe strutted his stuff on a Prem stage.
He was energetic, inventive, direct on the ball and a nuisance off it, winning a collision with Luton’s Mpanzu before Arsenal broke for their opener.
Should have grabbed a first half goal himself but for a good save by Thomas Kaminski and then put it on a plate for Nelson to double their lead before the break.
Read Jordan’s verdict on all the Arsenal players with our player ratings.
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”
Smith Rowe’s return to form is perfectly timed, with Arsenal facing a string of vital games.
They play Brighton this weekend before a daunting battle with Bayern Munich next week.
Top-four chasing Aston Villa come after that before a trip to Germany for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
With games coming thick and fast, it’s likely Arteta will need to call on all of his squad.