Another Premier League away day and another emphatic victory for Arsenal.
The Gunners have quickly turned into one of, if not the most threatening teams in England this year, and the hammering of Sheffield United was just another example of that.
With the game out of sight by the end of the first half, Mikel Arteta was able to make some changes to his side, and when the full-time whistle was blown, there were five substitutes on the pitch, although notably, Emile Smith Rowe wasn't among them.
Emile Smith Rowe's Arsenal career in numbers
It wasn't the first time that the Croydon-born gem has been overlooked by his manager this season, and it certainly feels a far cry from just a couple of years ago when the Spaniard referred to the Hale End graduate as a "key player" at the club.
Since making his full debut for the club in a League Cup match vs Brentford in September 2018, Smith Rowe has endured a journey full of ups and downs at the Emirates.
GK
Bernd Leno
RB
Stephan Lichtsteiner
CB
Shkodran Mustafi
CB
Rob Holding
LB
Nacho Monreal
CM
Mohamed Elneny
CM
Matteo Guendouzi
RM
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
CAM
Emile Smith Rowe
LM
Alex Iwobi
ST
Danny Welbeck
For example, in the 2020/21 season, he made 33 appearances for the first team, scored four goals, provided seven assists, and established himself as one of the few bright spots in a team embarking on a tumultuous rebuild.
The mercurial midfielder did even better the following season, scoring 11 goals, providing two assists and forming a joyful partnership with fellow Hale Ender Bukayo Saka.
However, while the "outstanding" youngster, as described by former professional Paul Robinson, looked set to lead Arsenal into a glorious future, he was suffering from consistent injuries which would eventually make it nearly impossible to maintain a place in a team that, through intelligent recruitment, began to improve dramatically.
Across his career thus far, the 23-year-old has suffered nine injuries, missed 77 games for club and country and spent 384 days sidelined.
If the Gunners were still fighting it out in mid-table, then Arteta might feel more comfortable throwing in an academy gem who has amassed just 552 minutes of first-team football since the start of last season.
However, with the title race in full swing, his next start looks miles off, especially after another technically gifted player was picked ahead of him on the bench vs Sheffield United.
Why Arsenal's 6-0 win is bad news for Smith Rowe
Yes, the player in question is Portuguese 23-year-old Fabio Vieira, who replaced the talismanic Saka at half-time on Monday night.
While right-wing is not a position played by Smith Rowe, the fact that Arteta chose to bring on a player in Vieira who had just 245 minutes of experience in that position while leaving the Englishman on the bench says a lot.
The score was 5-0 at the time and, barring a dramatic collapse by the Gunners, the likes of which the league hasn't seen before, the game was effectively over and, as such, there was no reason why Smith Rowe couldn't get a runout alongside Vieira in the second half.
Moreover, choosing to bring on the "exceptional" midfielder, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, to replace the team's most important player also suggests that there is a level of trust between the Santa Maria da Feira-born ace and Arteta that just isn't there with Smith Rowe at the moment.
When fit, Saka is always going to start on the right. So, while using the former Porto ace as a substitute for the 22-year-old could be an interesting way to change the team's attacking makeup and to rest the young Englishman, it might also indicate a growing importance in the team for Vieira.
Appearances
39
Goals
7
Assists
16
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
After all, in his final season with the Dragões, the 5 foot 7 wizard, who Kulig described as having "a left foot made of gold", scored seven goals and provided 16 assists in just 39 appearances, primarily from attacking midfield, which is exactly where Smith Rowe wants to operate in the long term.
Ultimately, there is still a talented player in the Hale End graduate, and were it not for his myriad of injuries that took him out of the side just as the team started to seriously improve, he might still be an essential player for Arteta.
Arsenal star who made 169 passes was as good as Odegaard vs Sheffield Utd
The incredibly talented ace may not have won as many plaudits on the night, but he was just as important to the team.
ByJack Salveson Holmes
However, with Vieira slowly playing more of a role within the team and being picked ahead of him on Monday night, his time in red and white could be up.
