Take a look at what you could have won. During the summer Aston Villa felt sure enough of their station to make two bids for Emile Smith Rowe and, although they were rejected out of hand, it might have spoken volumes that a rival outside Europe’s elite fancied they could lure one of Arsenal’s star turns.
After facing him here, it is unlikely they would embarrass themselves with another go. Smith Rowe was physically and technically on another level to anything Dean Smith’s players could offer, scoring his team’s third goal after a lung-busting show of initiative and leading the way in their best all-round performance of the season.
