Mikel Arteta suggests he’s going to start ‘special’ Arsenal player for first time in 16 months today

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has suggested that he is going to hand Emile Smith Rowe a start against Brentford tonight.

The Gunners take on Thomas Frank’s side in the third round of the Carabao Cup later today. Arteta is expected to make plenty of changes to his side, and 23-year-old Smith Rowe could benefit from that.

Here’s what the Arsenal boss said.

Mikel Arteta suggests Emile Smith Rowe will start for Arsenal vs Brentford

Emile Smith Rowe has had a torrid time at Arsenal over the last year or so.

The Englishman, who is a really ‘special‘ talent, missed a large chunk of last season due to an injury. He didn’t start a single game in the whole campaign and played just 195 minutes of football in all competitions.

That long and frustrating wait could finally come to an end today. Smith Rowe is in line to start his first game in 16 months – the last one was against Newcastle in May 2022.

Arteta suggested that the Englishman will get his ‘big chance’ today.

He said, as per The Daily Mail: “There’s been many reasons why he hasn’t started a match. He was out for a long, long time.

“In the last two matches he’s played more minutes and tomorrow (today) he will have a big chance to show that he can play at this level and be a really important player for us.

“He needs time on the pitch and he needs opportunities and we want to provide that to him. Then he needs to prove it like anybody else on the field that he deserves to play.”

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Competition for places is huge at the moment at Arsenal, especially in the position where Emile Smith Rowe usually plays.

The Englishman is naturally a number 10 – Martin Odegaard is a guaranteed starter in that role, while Kai Havertz and Fabio Vieira are both ahead of him in the pecking order on the opposite side.

Smith Rowe has also played out wide, mainly on the left flank. Sadly for him, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson have been preferred there.

It will be interesting to see where Smith Rowe will play today if he does start. We have a feeling it will be on the left wing with Martinelli and Trossard both ruled out due to injury.