Mesut Ozil has given his verdict on Emile Smith Rowe after the youngster replaced him as Arsenal's playmaker.
Smith Rowe scored his first Premier League goal for Mikel Arteta's side in Sunday's win over West Brom, having stepped in to fill the void left by Ozil's departure this season.
Questions were asked of Arteta's decision to leave Ozil out in the cold earlier in the campaign, with the Gunners hampered by a lack of creativity from midfield.
Those questions have not yet been fully answered, with the Gunners still struggling to qualify for European football next season having crashed out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage last week.
But Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have provided hope for next season with some exciting attacking displays, and the two youngsters again shone in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Baggies.
Saka provided Arsenal 's main attacking threat after being deployed at left-back with Kieran Tierney still gaining full fitness, while Smith Rowe's movement was too much for Sam Allaryce's side to handle with the 20-year-old's opener setting Arsenal on the way to victory.
And the playmaker drew praise from Ozil after also impressing during last week's 0-0 draw against Villarreal, when he was arguably the Gunners' best player in an otherwise disappointing display.
"He made the difference in the last couple of games as a No 10," Ozil posted on Twitter. "Really happy for him… and that he showed that playing with a No 10 still can make sense in today’s football."
Ozil's last remark could be interpreted as a dig at Arteta after the 32-year-old was frozen out last March before eventually having his contract terminated and joining Fenerbahce in the January transfer window.
The former Germany international scored 44 goals and posted an impressive 77 assists during his 254 games for Arsenal since joining from Real Madrid in 2013.
While his work rate was often criticised, his contribution to Arsenal's goals tally was always going to be missed.
Arteta's faith in Smith Rowe and 19-year-old Saka has shown there is cause for optimism ahead of next season - although with the manager under pressure, it remains to be seen whether he will reap the long-term rewards of making the youngsters a crucial part of the first-team picture.
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