Arsenal might be flying in the Premier League and Champions League this season, but things have not always looked so rosy for Mikel Arteta.
In fact, in his second season, just half a year after winning the FA Cup, there was a real sense that he could be fired.
After all, the North Londoners were bottom of the table by the first international break, and from the 8th of November to Boxing Day, the team didn't win a league game.
Arsenal's League form 8/11/20–26/12/20
Opponent
Aston Vila (H)
Leeds United (A)
Wolves (A)
Tottenham (A)
Burnely (H)
Southampton (H)
Everton (A)
Amazingly, one of the reasons things turned around for the Spaniard was his decision to unleash academy gem Emile Smith Rowe, who, alongside Bukayo Saka, helped steer the club out of trouble.
Since then, it has felt like Hale End has produced talents in pairs for the club, and it looks like they've done so again with a duo who could become the new Smith Rowe and Saka, and no, it's not Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri.
Saka & Smith Rowe's partnership
Smith Rowe made his debut for Arsenal and started a few Europa League games in the 18/19 season, and made a few more appearances the following year.
However, his first Premier League start for the club came on Boxing Day 2020, and alongside Saka, he helped put the club back on track.
He provided the assist for his Hale End teammate, and that started a partnership that finally gave the fans something to be excited about when it came to their team.
Smith Rowe & Saka's 20/21
Player
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Minutes per Goal Involvement
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In fact, the pair made such an impact as a dynamic duo that the fans created and constantly sang a song about them playing together.
Unfortunately, injuries soon began to take their toll on the Croydon-born gem, and while he was on the sidelines, his Saka started to grow in importance on his own.
Moreover, the overall team began rapidly improving, both from a personnel and performance perspective, so when the dynamic midfielder was fit again in the 23/24 season, he barely featured at all.
This led to the club accepting a £34m offer from Fulham in the summer of 2024.
smith-rowe-saka-arsenal
It might not have ended well, but for a time, Saka and Smith Rowe were an incredible partnership, making 81 appearances together and combining for six goals.
Now it looks like Hale End might be about to produce another dynamic pairing for Arsenal, and it's not Dowman and Nwaneri.
Arsenal's new Saka and Smith Rowe
Now, there is an argument to be made that the duo of Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are the closest Arsenal have come to recreating the Saka and Smith Rowe pairing.
However, with the latter primarily playing at left-back, that comparison doesn't really work.
It's a different story, however, when it comes to Hale End gems Alex Marciniak and Louis Zecevic-John.
The pair have demonstrated an ability to play in several different positions, but the former, who is just 17, is primarily an attacking midfielder, and the latter, also 17, is primarily a right winger.
In other words, they could burst into the first team and, as one content creator put it, become "the new Saka and Emile Smith Rowe."
Now, that is certainly a lot of pressure to put on youngsters that most fans will not have heard of yet, but based on their form in the youth sides and what those in the know are saying about them, it's a pressure they might be able to handle.
For example, the "insane" Marciniak, as dubbed by academy expert Will Balsam, has already racked up a tally of one goal and three assists in eight appearances for the U18s this season.
Zecevic-John, whom Balsam has described as "a game-changing attacker" who is "electric with the ball at his feet" and blessed with "blistering pace," also put up incredible numbers last year.
In 22 appearances, totalling 1539 minutes, he scored seven goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.57 games, or every 109.92 minutes.
Ultimately, there is still a long way to go for both youngsters, but given their positions and undeniable ability, they could one day be Arsenal's new Saka and Smith Rowe.