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A former Arsenal contingent of players at Fulham showed their love for the Gunners while watching the North London Derby against Tottenham on the team bus, which included Emile Smith Rowe.
Former Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe joined a group of ex-Gunners at Fulham to watch on as they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby over the weekend. It was an important match for Mikel Arteta and his side to bounce back after some struggles in recent weeks.
Both Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres bagged a brace for Arsenal, cancelling out a goal from Randal Kolo Muani against the run of play. It was a repeat scoreline of the previous meeting this season, ensuring an 8-2 aggregate victory across the two matches between the city rivals.
Plenty of eyes were on the game, from those in the title race, such as Manchester City and Aston Villa, to those in the relegation race, such as Nottingham Forest and West Ham. However, there was a core of former Arsenal stars watching along on the Fulham bus, as seen from behind-the-scenes footage from Alex Iwobi, following their 3-1 win away at Sunderland on Sunday.
Iwobi posted footage of the team bus after the game on his YouTube channel, which included plenty of reaction from those who have played for both teams. "Eberechi, tell them be quiet my boy!” Calvin Bassey shouted after Eze bagged the opener in the game on his screen.
“It’s kind of quiet over these sides,” Iwobi then remarked, taking aim at former Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon on the Fulham coach. The pair then took time to praise Eze's quality in his technical ability and his physical attributes, with Bassey saying: "I think he meant that touch. He has far too quality to not mean that. Bro he's too strong though, he is strong bro. And he can move. I had to put everything and went [shoulder barge movement]."
Iwobi then said on Eze: "Bass, I tried to shift him for the corner, he shifted me. He blocked me and Bernd [Leno]. I tried to shift him and I got hurt bro."
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Smith Rowe then got involved and tried to wind up Sessegnon, saying: "Sess." before simply replicating the celebration from Eze. He copied the cross celebration that the forward did after scoring the first goal, having a wry smile on his face while doing so, while Iwobi couldn't help but laugh.
Sessegnon got his own back after Kolo Muani scored the equaliser, saying: "Alex, get this. Get this. Yes. Come on! Hold that." But once the game got away from Spurs in the second half, the digs at him started again.
Smith Rowe turned around and copied the Gyokeres celebration, covering his mouth with his hands to mock his teammate, after the second goal for the Gunners went in.
Sessegnon gave some praise to Gyokeres, saying: "That's a great touch and finish. I can't even say anything, that's a great finish." The mocking from Smith Rowe left the former Tottenham man with his hand over his face as he accepted Arsenal's superiority.
It speaks volumes about the support Smith Rowe still has for Arsenal, having clearly cheered on his former team in the match. Even given his exit in 2024, the playmaker is still fondly remembered for his time at the Emirates Stadium, something he clearly still holds close to him.
The 25-year-old came through the club's academy ranks, climbing up from the under-18s and under-23s to fight his way into the senior side. There were loans at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town to help him progress to that stage, which set him up to be a key player in the early years of Arteta's reign.
Smith Rowe ended up making 115 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 18 goals and assisting 13 times during that spell. If injuries had not been so pertinent for the attacking midfielder, he may still have had a part to play at Arsenal, given how important his combination with Bukayo Saka was when they both came through.
His eventual move to Fulham, which came for a fee that could rise to £34million, has seen some stop-start moments for him so far. In 72 appearances, he has bagged 11 goals and three assists, but has been unable to secure a starting shirt as his own, as he continues to battle for a place in the side.
“It was a very tough decision, obviously, to let Emile go, especially because personally, I feel really grateful for what he did for the club and for me," Arteta said in 2024, following the exit of the Hale End academy graduate. “In that period of time, I think he was instrumental in changing some things around it but in the end, players have to play.
“He had a lot of difficult moments as well. A lot of struggles with injuries when we were together and he needed that fresh start. It’s normal. We understood that and we let him go.”
While it remains to be seen exactly how well the rest of his Fulham chapter will go, it's clear to see he still has that Arsenal part of him present outside of playing for the Whites.
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