Mikel Arteta has praised Emile Smith Rowe as a highly regarded player at Arsenal and made it clear that there was never any intention of letting him leave during the summer transfer window.
Despite only getting 24 minutes of playing time for Arsenal this season and not starting any matches last season, Arteta has hinted that Smith Rowe has a significant opportunity to be in the starting lineup against Brentford in the League Cup on Wednesday, as he mentioned during his press conference.
As Arsenal now compete in their fourth competition of the new season, including the Community Shield, Premier League, and Champions League, this presents players like Emile Smith Rowe with a valuable chance to impress the manager.
While some may argue that the League Cup is not the highest priority for the club, it is clear that with the demanding fixture schedule ahead, there could be numerous changes to the lineup when Arsenal face Brentford.
The match against the opponents is a short journey across London for Arsenal, and Arteta expressed his admiration for the playmaker who is held in high regard by everyone on the team. Mikel Arteta acknowledged that Smith Rowe is a player who is incredibly popular and greatly appreciated by his teammates, echoing the sentiments of both the fans and the coaching staff.
“Many reasons why he hasn’t started, he was out for a long, long time. Then he had a sequence of matches he played with the national team, then he came in and didn’t participate. And in the last two matches, he has played more minutes," Arteta said when speaking about Smith Rowe, via HITC.
"(Against Brentford), he will have a big chance to show that he can play at this level and be an important player for us."
Being asked about the youngster's potential exit, the manager added: "No. He needs to be (a huge part of Arsenal). A player of that talent who has come through our system.”