Paul Heckingbottom told his pre-match press conference that Arsenal’s ‘talented’ stars Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah have deserved their shot at first-team football.
In a season of despair, abject performances and worries about where Arsenal are heading, one thing that has stood out are the youngsters.
Saka has, no doubt, been the standout, with Smith Rowe also showcasing his worth during these past few months and Nketiah producing his best last season.
Sheffield United’s caretaker boss will see first hand just how good those players are, as he praised them for their qualities.
“If you are good enough then you are old enough,” said Heckingbottom. “But flip that and you cannot just give debuts on potential. They have to be good enough.
“People have to deserve that. They have to deserve a chance with the first-team group and Arsenal have a very good batch of players. They all have got into the team in different ways.
“Eddie Nketiah and Smith Rowe have had loans. It has really put them in the spotlight. It has got people talking about them. Saka has gone straight in. He has played a number of positions and played them quite well. He has got himself into the national team set up as well.
“They are there because they are good footballers. That’s it. But what they have brought is real energy. A real drive into performances. And I think they have added to the XI when they have been playing. That’s the plus side of having talented youngsters in the team.”
If some, or even most, of Arsenal’s senior players performed with the fearless nature and quality the youngsters do then the club might just be sitting in the European places now.
But ironically enough, in what was Arsenal’s biggest game of the season so far on Thursday, the fans are relying on their young guns to pull them through and not the senior stars.
Regardless of what happens this season, it’s pretty clear that a clear out is needed at Arsenal in the summer because the club will continue to stagnate without a major shake-up.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
