Emmanuel Petit admits there are only two players he “really likes” in the current Arsenal squad, comparing Emile Smith Rowe to Tottenham Hotspur legend Paul Gascoigne in conversation with the Standard.
It’s remarkable to think that, during Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, a Gunners side featuring Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang appeared to lack any semblence of inspiration in the absence of two fresh-faced academy graduates.
At 20 and 19 respectively, Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka are already two of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s team sheet, beacons of light cutting through the dark clouds hanging over the Emirates.
And Petit reflects the thoughts of many Arsenal fans when he says a pair of technically gifted Englishmen have stood out a mile during the inconsistent Arteta era.
Petit, a double winner under Arsene Wenger in 1998, said: “The question is simple. How many Arsenal players would you look at and say: ‘They’re one of the best in the league in that position?’
“For me, if you look at the last two or three seasons, how many players are exempt of any criticism? Three or four, probably. Kieran Tierney and Bernd Leno.
“I really like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. The way Smith Rowe plays really reminds me of Paul Gascoigne.”
While the young guns have given Arsenal fans something to smile about, the performances of those highly paid veterans leave a lot to be desired.
Summer signing Willian has sparkled intermittently of late but has failed to come close to justifying his staggering £220,000-a-week wages. Club captain Aubameyang, meanwhile, continues to resemble a fading shadow of a once gluttonous goal-machine.
“When I look at the older players in Arsenal’s team, it’s like they think it’s a retreat football club, somewhere you just go for a vacation,” Petit adds.
“They have ambition – but I don’t really expect them to win big games any more.”
With eight games remaining, Arsenal are level on points with newly promoted, 11th-placed Leeds United in the Premier League.
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