Whisper it, but Emile Smith Rowe is looking like the sort of player Arsenal have needed all season long.
Since Mikel Arteta officially exiled Mesut Ozil in October, the Gunners have been crying out for some creative talent in midfield.
Arsenal slumped to 15th in the Premier League table at one point last month, which illustrates the scale of the problem at the Emirates Stadium.
But three successive victories since Arteta brought Smith Rowe in as the number 10 – including one against Chelsea – has seen the North London club’s fortunes improve in a huge way, taking them up to 11th.
The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting players coming through at the Hale End academy right now.
And Daniel Ballard, his team-mate at youth level, claims that the young playmaker is a ‘special’ talent who can go ‘straight to the very top’.
He told Goal.com: “Emile is a special player. He’s a player I think that every manager would want in their team.
“He’s a real team player and I think he really suits Arsenal. He gets the ball and moves it, he runs at the defenders. He just suits the way Arsenal play and he’s someone who will definitely go to the very top.”
It’s premature to say Smith Rowe can adequately replace someone like Ozil, who looks set to finally leave Arsenal this month.
And Edu – who is on record as saying that the team needs a creative spark signed this month – should still push ahead with his transfer plans, despite the youngster’s emergence.
But there can be little doubt that Arsenal have started playing much, much better since Smith Rowe has found himself in the first XI every week and the more he impresses, the less tears there’ll be if and when Ozil does leave this month.
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