As Arsenal prepare to face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, Emile Smith Rowe’s reunion with his former club has become a key talking point.
The 24-year-old, who left Arsenal this summer after 10 years at the club, reflected on the personal significance of facing his former teammates.
“It’s a massive game for me personally. At the start of the season, I’ve always been thinking about playing against my former team. It’s going to be an exciting game. It’s going to be a bit weird, knowing the players for so long, and having been there for a lot of my life, so it probably is going to be a bit of an emotional day. But I have to make sure I do the job for Fulham,” he said.
Smith Rowe’s start to life at Fulham has been impressive. With three goals and two assists so far, he has established himself as a creative force in Marco Silva’s side. Fulham’s midweek 3-1 victory over Brighton saw them climb to seventh in the table, strengthening their bid for European qualification.
The playmaker also shared thoughts on his former teammate Bukayo Saka, with whom he shares a strong bond from their days in Arsenal’s Hale End academy. “He was one of my closest friends at Arsenal when I was there. Unbelievable professional, does all the right things to stay fit and perform at the highest level. He’s kind of like a little brother, so I’m really proud of him,” Smith Rowe added.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reflected on the decision to let Smith Rowe leave, acknowledging the challenges involved. “It was a very tough decision to let Emile go, especially because I feel really grateful for what he did for the club and for me in a period that he was instrumental in changing something around it. But players have to play. He had a lot of struggles with injuries when we were together, and he needed a fresh start,” Arteta explained. “It’s normal, we understood that and we allowed him to go.”
The Arsenal boss also defended the club’s midfield depth following Martin Ødegaard’s injury earlier this season. “We allowed Fabio [Vieira] to go [on loan] as well because we wanted to create the room and the space for Ethan [Nwaneri]. He has given us every reason to trust him. He’s shown that he’s ready to make the next step, and it’s great to have him,” he said.
Fulham will aim to replicate last season’s success against Arsenal, when they earned a draw at the Emirates and a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage. Marco Silva pointed to set-pieces as a key area where his side had excelled. “Last season we did really well in that situation against them. We scored twice from set-pieces,” Silva noted.
Arsenal approach the game in strong form, with four consecutive league wins, but remain cautious of Fulham’s threat. Arteta acknowledged the quality of former Gunners Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson (who won’t feature), saying, “It’s always a tough place to go. They have ex-Arsenal players doing very well, which I’m happy for. But we know we have to be at our best.”
Arteta also confirmed that the availability of defenders Gabriel Magalhães and Riccardo Calafiori, both absent in the midweek fixture, will be decided after Saturday’s training session.