Arsenal may have dropped a hint that Emile Smith Rowe will be starting Arsenal’s Premier League clash on Monday night as Mikel Arteta gears his side up to continue their push for a Champions League place next season. All of the pressure is on the Gunners as North London rivals Tottenham leapfrogged them into fourth on Sunday with a 5-1 win over Newcastle.
However, the team have played a total of two fewer matches than the sides around them, creating an opportunity to create a gap on fifth if they take the chance. With remaining matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and West Ham to come, it certainly won’t be an easy task.
The Eagles also present a tough task, with Selhurst Park hardly one of the easiest places to visit if you’re in need of three points. Former Arsenal midfielder and captain Patrick Vieira has impressed in his first season there as manager and will be hoping to take more points from his old club.
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It only requires a look back at the reverse fixture between the two sides to show just how challenging the game could be for Arteta. An Alexandre Lacazette equaliser in stoppage time made sure the Gunners took a point, which could be crucial come the end of the season.
When asked about whether the game ahead will be tough in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “100 percent. I have experienced a lot of those games and the run that they’re in, the atmosphere we’re going to be playing against. We’re going to have to be prepared and we will be prepared.”
One thing he could do to prepare best for the game is make a change or two in the team, which has been a fairly regular group of core players for the past few weeks. One of those players could be Emile Smith Rowe, who the club may have dropped a huge selection hint on.
The official Arsenal Twitter posted a pre-match hype graphic for the clash, with Smith Rowe the prime focus of the picture. This could hint at a potential selection for the away trip, but players who have been on the graphics in the past haven’t always started.
If the Hale End academy graduate were to start, it would be a long-awaited return to first-team action. The England international was ruled out with injury, Covid-19 and then kept out of the team by Gabriel Martinelli once he was back to full fitness.
However, with the Brazilian featuring in the international break for his nation, Arteta could opt to rest him for the run-in, while a hungry Smith Rowe may get his shot at first-team football once again.
