Arteta's replacement for Mesut Ozil who made him smile - and where he is now
Mikel Arteta has taken Arsenal from also-rans to title contenders after showing no mercy with some big-name stars, but his replacements for the likes of Mesut Ozil haven't always stayed the course.
Ozil was in and out of the team under Unai Emery but returned to the fold under Arteta during the 2019-20 season and was beginning to make an impact again when the Premier League went on hiatus at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. He didn't feature after that point, though, eventually leaving for Fenerbahce in early 2021.
As the former Real Madrid star was nearing the exit, Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe was attracting Arteta's attention. His form on loan at Huddersfield helped the Terriers keep their place in the Championship, and the playmaker was then welcomed into the fold at his parent club.
Smith Rowe scored his first goal under Arteta in October 2020, adding three more that season, and developed into a full England international. Now, though, he finds himself at a crossroads at the age of 23 after falling down the pecking order as Arsenal have added strength in depth.
Smith Rowe's winner for Huddersfield against West Brom in July 2020 helped make sure of his team's survival, while also dashing Albion's automatic promotion hopes. When Arteta was asked about the goalscorer the following week, a smile crept across his face.
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"He's a player with very specific qualities to play in those pockets in that position as an attacking midfielder," Arteta told Sky Sports. "I am excited to work with him. I have been talking with him and I have followed him during his spell on loan. I think he's someone who can be pretty impressive.
"I'm pleased by what I've seen from him. He needed that exposure and he looks more mature now. I think he will be in a much better place when he comes back in pre-season.
"The young players want to be important, they want to take the important numbers, and I like that. It's a good step. and they can be important in the future, but it's up to them to decide that."
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Emile Smith Rowe caught the eye during a spell on loan at Huddersfield (PhotoEye.co.uk)Smith Rowe enjoyed a breakout season under Arteta in the 2021-22 campaign, scoring a career-high 10 goals as Arsenal narrowly missed out on Champions League football. It felt like vindication for the academy graduate, after the Gunners opted to keep hold of him amid summer interest from Aston Villa.
Villa, who signed Emi Martinez from Arsenal in 2020, were prepared to reunite Smith Rowe with his former team-mate the following year. A £30m bid was knocked back, though, with Arteta coming good on his praise for the midfielder the previous season.
"He's having an incredible season ever since he started to play in December," Arsenal's manager said during the 2020-21 campaign. "But he's scoring his first Premier League goal. An incredible season for a No 10 of Arsenal means he needs to score 15 goals and give 10 assists.
"Then you are right up there with the top guys in Europe and in the league. He's got the ability to do it but he hasn't done it. We need to stay calm with him, give him the right support and step by step, I think he will be getting there."
Smith Rowe scored 10 league goals in the 2021-22 season (Getty Images)Right when he was tipped to kick on even more, though, Smith Rowe got an injury at an unfortunate time. After four appearances from the bench at the start of the 2022-23 campaign, he underwent groin surgery which kept him out for three months.
Gabriel Martinelli's rise the previous season had already served as a taste of things to come, with the Brazilian seemingly a better fit for the starting role on the left under Arteta, while Leandro Trossard's January arrival meant Smith Rowe's options became even more limited. He didn't start a single league game last term, though an assist on the final-day victory over Wolves offered hope going into the current campaign.
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Granit Xhaka's exit suggested a role as a left-sided eight might become available to Smith Rowe, rather than a berth further forward. Instead, though, Arsenal spent big on Kai Havertz to leave a man once considered the club's future worrying about his present.
“Being at a massive club like Arsenal, we know there is so much competition," Smith Rowe said in September after making his first club start in 499 days. "It is always going to be challenging, it is always going to be difficult to cement your place in the team.
"I have just got to keep believing in myself. Coming back and not quite getting back into the team, I have had to stay strong in my head and try to stay as positive as I can."
Smith Rowe's start against Brentford in September was his first in more than a year (Getty Images)That start against Brentford in the Carabao Cup was followed by another in the league as Arsenal beat Sheffield United 5-0. Another injury setback followed, but the wait for another start was shorter this time.
Smith Rowe has already racked up more minutes this season than last, though he didn't make it onto the pitch in either of the last two games. The 6-0 win at West Ham might have provided an opportunity for another run-out had he not picked up an ankle injury in training,
Despite his relative lack of involvement, there are plenty of other Premier League clubs who see a lot in the 23-year-old. West Ham looked at doing a deal in January, but Arteta wasn't ready to let Smith Rowe leave.
“I’m really happy with Emile," Arteta said in the middle of the month. "He’s on the right trajectory and now he’s settled, he’s training really well and you know that I won’t be talking about any individual situation.
"Emile is Emile. He’s got incredible qualities and we really happy to have him," Arteta added when quizzed on Smith Rowe's game time. "What he needs now is chances to put all the qualities that he has on the pitch. In order to do that we have to give him minutes."
Even if a run in the first-team comes around, it might be too late for any hope Smith Rowe had of playing at Euro 2024. His three England caps came in 2021 and 2022, and he was left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for the June 2022 break before surgery made a World Cup selection impossible.
The priority, for now at least, is minutes in Arteta's first team. Smith Rowe has made his manager smile before, and he'll want to feel he can do so again.
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