Emile Smith Rowe has been of pivotal significance for the Gunners this season, having made 16 appearances and scoring 6 goals so far.
The latest addition to his tally came last night against in-form West Ham. Aside from his general performance, the celebration following his goal seems to have caught everyone’s attention online.
Gabriel Martinelli scored the opener just minutes into the second half before Smith Rowe, who came on as a substitute, sealed the victory with Arsenal’s second after 87th minute.
Receiving the ball from Bukayo Saka, Smith Rowe surged inside the opponent’s box before striking the ball into the extreme corner past Lukas Fabianski.
The England international and his attacking partner Saka then pulled out a pre-planned celebration, running towards the corner flag before stopping just a few yards from it. They then reclined on the turf, resting on one elbow with their legs crossed.
Smith Rowe 🤝 Saka
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 15, 2021
Arsenal move into the top four for the first time this season. pic.twitter.com/JKw7FtwE2F
For the unversed, this wasn’t the first time the duo had pulled out such a choreographed move. During Arsenal’s fixture against Watford back in November, the duo busted out a similar move after Saka scored the opener before VAR disallowed it.
The moment back then was judged to be an embarrassing one, with some football fans berating the duo for their pre-planned celebration. This time, however, Smith Rowe’s goal did stand and the celebration drew no major vilification.
The duo have been instrumental in Arsenal’s performance this season, with Mikel Arteta seemingly reliant more on upcoming prospects than experienced ones.
The latest victory, which came on the back of some brilliant performances from youngsters, reaffirms Arteta’s faith in the youth.
Gunners now have broken into the top-4 for the first time this season following their victory against West Ham at the Emirates.