Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe returned to the starting line-up against Aston Villa on Saturday and helped his side clinch another important win in the race for top four.
The 21-year-old put in a confident all-round display as the Gunners beat Steven Gerrard's side by one goal to nil thanks to a first-half goal from fellow Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka. Smith Rowe may not have registered another goal or an assist, but he did do something that Arsenal fans will enjoy seeing time and time again.
As seen on Reddit, the England international passed the ball into Granit Xhaka before searching to get into space to make himself an option in a wide area. However, to create said space, he needed to get past a resilient Matty Cash and he did so with ease, as he dropped his shoulder which forced the Villa defender to lose his footing.
READ MORE: Arsenal eye surprise signing as Mikel Arteta and Edu identify loophole to help transfer cause
READ MORE: Arsenal given three Cedric Soares replacements including Ajax ace with door open to summer exit
The resulting attack ended in a promising chance for the Gunners as Xhaka found Alexandre Lacazette in a decent position. The Frenchman should've rolled it into the path of Martin Odegaard, but instead opted to shoot. His attempt was blocked and Arsenal therefore had to protect a slender 1-0 advantage.
But even though there was late pressure from Villa, Mikel Arteta's side managed to see out the victory and earn another vital three points in the race for top four. Arsenal are now on 54 points with ten games to go, four more than their closest rivals Manchester United - a side who have played one more game than the Gunners.
Although Arteta will be focused on taking things game by game, it's ultimately looking more and more likely that they'll finish in a Champions League spot for the first time in five years, which will be a huge boost going into both the summer transfer market and next season.
