Emile Smith Rowe is back in the Arsenal starting line-up (Picture: Getty Images)

Emile Smith Rowe makes just his second Premier League start of the season for Arsenal at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, which Mikel Arteta says is ‘fully deserved’.

The 23-year-old has had injury problems this season, while there is plenty of competition in midfield and in the forward positions for the Gunners, so the homegrown talent has struggled to break into the starting XI.

Fully fit again, Arteta has chosen to throw Smith Rowe in from the start at the City Ground and feels that he has done more than enough to earn his place in the starting line-up for the first time since October.

‘He fully deserves it, he’s been training really good, now he’s got some consistency, many weeks available,’ Arteta told TNT Sports.
‘He’s played some games, impacted the game a few times and we believe it’s the right game as well, to give him the opportunity he fully deserves and to impact the game now.’

Smith Rowe came off the bench twice in December after recovering from a knee injury, and also came on against Crystal Palace in the recent 5-0 win.

Gunners great Martin Keown is glad to see him back and hopes he can get back to showing the promise that he put on display a couple of seasons ago.

‘I think it was a really big thing when he signed a new contract two or three seasons ago and gave him the no.10 shirt, and he hasn’t r...