Goodbye Emile Smith Rowe...

Always sad to see one of our own go, but sadly a career so interrupted by injury means ESR is off to Fulham for £27m plus 7m in add-ons.

After coming through the academy, ESR got his first break under Unai Emery in 18/19. A couple of league cup appearances and an impressive group stage in the Europa - scoring 3 goals in his 6 appearances across the 2 competitions - got him a second half of the season loan to Leipzig. Sadly injuries ruined his time there, only playing 28 minutes.

The next season saw the injury problems continue, only playing 3 Europa ties and one League Cup game. Then Emery got sacked and ESR was given his PL debut by Freddie Ljungberg. He appeared against Man City and Everton before securing a January loan to Championship side Huddersfield. It was this loan he made his first real impression in senior football. The Terriers were deep in a relegation battle, but our boy helped them achieve safety - scoring the goal that sealed their Championship place for another season.

A shoulder injury meant he was again missing at the start of the 20/21 season. He was back in time for the last 3 Europa group games, and scored 1 and got 2 assists in just over 90 minutes of game time across the 3 games. With Arsenal struggling in 15th in the league, Mikel Arteta gave Emile Smith Rowe his 3rd PL appearance in a home tie against Chelsea on Boxing Day. It proved a great move, as ESR helped Arsenal to a 3-1 win and assisted Saka for the third. He kept his place in the team for the majority of the rest of the season, which included a Europa semi final and his first 2 PL goals, one against West Brom before he scored the only goal at Stamford Bridge as he haunted Chelsea again.

He finally got to start a season injury free, and started Arsenals first 3 PL games in 21/22. Sadly we lost all 3, conceding 9 and scoring 0. Greenshoots of recovery were seen against Norwich and Burnley before perhaps Emile's best game for Arsenal. A North London derby at the end of September at the Emirates, and ESR and fellow academy product Saka ran riot. 3 up by half time, ESR scoring and assisting. A new song set to Status Quo's Rocking All Over the World rang out, championing our 2 young stars. In November 21 ESR was rewarded with his first England call up and then scored his first England goal in his second game.
ESR finished the 21/22 season with 11 goals, and he started 21 times in a pretty injury free season. Things were looking great for the Croydon lad.

The 22/23 season, though, saw further injury issues and any dreams of going to the World Cup were shattered. In his absence Arsenal were flying, so much so he failed to regain his place. He had 0 starts in any competition and failed to score a single goal.

Despite links of a move away, ESR stayed at Arsenal for the 23/24 season - which proves to be his last. He finally made his CL debut, but only has 3 sub apps to show. He started the PL season as an unused sub in the main, but finally got a start in late October. A decent performance and an assist in a 5-0 win - but he had to be withdrawn with a knee injury. He only made 2 more starts for Arsenal - a 2-1 win over Forest and a MotM performance with an assist against Luton. He again failed to score, meaning his last goal was against Chelsea (who else?) in a 4-2 win in April 2022.

He leaves Arsenal with a lot of 'what could have beens'. That 21/22 season will remain in his and our hearts, with the 3-1 at home to Spurs evidence of what ESR can produce.

Good luck to him at Fulham - where he can link up with another ex-Academy star Alex Iwobi, plus Bernd Leno.