The five kids handed Arsenal debuts by Unai Emery & how they’ve fared

While Unai Emery failed to live up to expectations during his time as Arsenal boss, he did give first-team opportunities to some talented academy graduates. 

Emery had the unenviable task of replacing Arsene Wenger at the Emirates in 2018 and was sacked after less than 18 months in charge.

We’ve looked at the five academy players he handed debuts to, to see how their respective careers have developed since.

Smith Rowe was handed his first-team debut early in Emery’s reign, coming off the bench against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League in September 2018.

The midfielder scored on his full debut against Qarabag and followed that up with goals in wins over Blackpool and Vorskla Poltava before spending the second half of 2018-19 on loan at RB Leipzig.

After another loan spell at Huddersfield, he made his breakthrough under Mikel Arteta in a Boxing Day win over Chelsea in 2020 and hasn’t looked back since.

Smith Rowe helped fill the creative void in Arsenal’s midfield and was handed the iconic No.10 shirt after committing his long-term future to the club in 2021.

The England international now faces competition from Martin Odegaard but has managed to add end product to his game in 2021-22, scoring 10+ goals in a season for the first time in his career.

“He has improved the dynamic and the attacking threat of the team with his movement and the way he links and finds relationships on the pitch,” Arteta said in December 2021.

“His threat on goal this season has been much, much better, with the capacity that he has to create chances, to open spaces for other teammates, and he’s been a key player. Hopefully we can sustain that over time.”

Saka to Smith Rowe… And Arsenal are going into the top four

A lovely placed finish from the