Arsenal are better off with Emile Smith Rowe than Jack Grealish

Why Mikel Arteta would rather have Emile Smith Rowe than Jack Grealish in his Arsenal team 

By Adam Le Roux

Remember way back in November when Aston Villa came to the Emirates and absolutely tore Arsenal apart on their own turf? Yeah, how could you forget.

It was a harrowing day for the Gunners, who were ripped to shreds by a potent Villa front line, with Ollie Watkins helping himself to a brace in the 3-0 victory.

That started a run of seven Premier League matches without a victory for Mikel Arteta’s side, as Arsenal continued to slide down the table before picking up form after Christmas.

That fateful day three months ago saw Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley run riot in the capital, with the pair having the home defence on strings throughout the 90 minutes, and the hosts’ lack of creativity looking as prominent as ever.

But since then things have turned around for the men in red and white, with Arsenal’s own academy graduate being pivotal to the change in fortunes at the Emirates.

The form of Emile Smith Rowe has been a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy season, with the young star looking destined for a bright future ahead.

This Saturday the 20-year-old has the chance to prove just why he is rated so highly by Gooners around the world, and why there was no need to make the move for the Villa talisman, as was touted over the summer.

With their rolled down socks and undying love for their boyhood club which they now play for, there are plenty of similarities between Smith Rowe and Grealish, and the young Gunner has all the signs of being just as influential as his opponent this weekend.

Smith Rowe will soon be sensational

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Emile Smith Rowe is just nine Premier League games into his Arsenal career, because his performances make it look as if he has been parading in the Arsenal frontline for a generation.

After loan moves to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga and Championship side Huddersfield Town, the academy graduate has finally earned his chance to perform on the biggest stage this season, and he has grasped the opportunity with both hands.

A handful of Europa League appearances in the early stages of the season saw the young talent excite and whet the appetite of Arsenal fans, with a well-taken goal in the 4-1 victory over Rapid Vienna proving he has the potential to mix it with the big boys.

But despite us all yearning for him to be given a chance domestically, Arteta continued to hold off blooding him in the Premier League for some time, possibly to protect him from the nonstop negative mentality that was surrounding the club in that pre-Christmas nadir.

It was Boxing Day when Smith Rowe was given his first chance of the season against Chelsea, and he certainly made up for lost time with a terrific performance in a 3-1 win for the Gunners, as they claimed that elusive league victory at the eighth time of asking.

From there he has played a crucial role in Arsenal’s results improving, having featured in each of the seven unbeaten league matches before the midweek reverse to Wolves.

Throw in a goal in the FA Cup victory over Newcastle at the start of January, and it is clear to see that the young prodigy has all it takes to be a regular in the starting lineup for years to come.

His tenacity and effervescence give him the edge over so many other players, and you can see just how much it means to him - having been an Arsenal fan since his early years.

"I can't really described the feeling to be honest. Being an Arsenal fan from such a young age, getting an opportunity to put on the Arsenal shirt and step onto the pitch, there's really no better feeling for me," Smith Rowe said.

"I've been at the club from a young age, watching the first-team, seeing magical goals and the link-up combination, I've always wanted to be a part of it. Growing up, I've always tried to do it in training and in matches as I was going through the academy."

That sort of courage and drive is always something that is going to endear himself to Arsenal fans, who expect nothing but the best from every player who takes to the pitch in red and white, and in Smith Rowe you know you are always going to get 110 per cent.

His attitude, his temperament, his work rate, they all seem spot on so far in the early days of his fledgling career, and exactly what the Gunners needed to pick them up from their recent slump.

Grealish is good but Emile is amazing

The above sentence is not always something you can attest to Grealish’s character, with the England international known just as much for his off field antics just as much as his mercurial talent earlier on in his career.

The born and bred Villa fan always seemed to have the talent, but never seemed to be capable of applying it on the field, although he has come into his own this year with Barkley and Watkins for company up top.

But if you judge Grealish against Smith Rowe at the same age, the Arsenal man looks to be edging it compared to his adversary, with more goals this season than the 25-year-old managed in his first two years in a Villa shirt.

In fact, it took the former Notts County man 27 matches to eventually get on the scoresheet for his hometown club, before the Villans suffered relegation to the second tier back in 2016.

He may have an £100m price tag on his head in the current day, but give Smith Rowe another year or three to develop, and Arsenal will have an even better standard of player on their hands.

If you are going to compete on the highest stage you need a player who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and create something out of nothing, but you only have to look at Villa’s capitulation at West Ham in midweek to see that Grealish can go missing as much as Stan Kroenke’s wallet on deadline day.

It was Jesse Lingard who stole the show in the Midlands on Wednesday night with a brace for the Hammers, and the stage is set for Smith Rowe to prove himself as more than a match for his creative counterpart this weekend.

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