[ad_1]
Arsenal’s youngsters were the center of attention after Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League win in Molde.
No fewer than eight homegrown players were named to the roster for the day, and it was a memorable night for 19-year-old Folarin Balogun, who scored with his first touch of the ball.
Reiss Nelson also impressed, opening his account for the season and putting Arsenal on the road to victory after Nicolas Pepe broke the deadlock just after the break.
One of the most notable, but perhaps a bit overlooked, talking points was Emile Smith Rowe’s cameo. The 20-year-old, who has struggled with first-team opportunities, came in late in the second half and attracted attention, creating the Balogun goal with an excellent play down the left wing.
“Emile is an incredibly talented player. He has the skill and the quality, ”Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said after the game.
Video not available
“Mentally, it is always challenging because the demands are very high, there is a lot of pressure to play here and you need to reach those levels to become an Arsenal player. It also depends on him.
“I like him a lot and he’s a player that we do have a little patience [with], we have a great player there. “
The problem for Arteta is finding a place on her team for Smith Rowe. Substitute appearances in the Europa League are fine, but the youngster will, at some point, hope to play more often in the Premier League.
What is clear is that Arsenal need an injection of creativity. Smith Rowe would provide that, but Arteta may be reluctant to give up Joe Willock, who has shown real promise at the start of the season.
True, the 21-year-old was disappointing in the goalless draw at Leeds United last weekend, but his performances in the Europa League have often been exceptional. He added two more assists to his tally Thursday night before being replaced by Smith Rowe.
The Premier League, of course, is a completely different challenge. Willock had plenty of room against Molde, especially in the second half. It allowed him to prosper, but it was also evidence of the significant decline in the quality of the opposition; against Leeds, he was effectively tagged out of the game, unable to pick up the ball in the gaps of space.
However, Arteta won’t want to make a hasty decision. Willock has been patient and has earned praise for his attitude, so leaving him suddenly after a tough Premier League match would be tough.
Smith Rowe, meanwhile, had been on the fringes until Molde’s party, and will likely need to make things easier for him.
By subscribing to our Arsenal newsletter, you will receive an email once a day, focusing on what is happening at the Emirates Stadium.
You won’t miss a thing when it comes to the Gunners – you’ll get everything you need to know straight to your inbox.
We will also send out special newsletters with important news.
How do you register?
It’s easy and only takes a few seconds.
Just type your email address in the box at the top of this article, or any article in the Arsenal section of football.london in fact, labeled “Get the most important daily stories by email” and click “To subscribe”.
And that’s it, you are ready.
If you decide later that you no longer want to receive the emails, just follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters, but we don’t think you want to.
For more details, click here.
That’s not the case for Willock, who is now an established first-team player. Until Arsenal can bring in a new creative midfielder, assuming that’s what Arteta intends to do, it would make sense to place some trust in the academy graduate.
After all, Willock has been with the club since he was four years old, so he probably deserves a long career with the team. And once he’s up to speed on the Premier League, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts to replicate his Europa League form.
If that hasn’t happened in a few weeks, Smith Rowe might be waiting behind the scenes to take advantage.
[ad_2]
