EDDIE NKETIAH and Emile Smith Rowe started out as promising young prospects emerging from the youth system at Arsenal.
Presently, the primary opportunity for Nketiah to feature at Crystal Palace is through cup fixtures, demonstrated by his winning goal during a 1-0 triumph against Fulham on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Smith Rowe was omitted entirely from Alvaro Arbeola squad for that Carabao Cup fixture.
This represents a notable decline for two competitors who were previously projected to become future mainstays for both the Gunners and the national team.
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage suggests that their difficulties in fulfilling initial expectations stem from psychological barriers rather than a lack of capability.
He maintains confidence that both individuals can reverse their fortunes and meet their early projections, despite Nketiah reaching age 27 and Smith Rowe standing at 26.
Commenting on Nketiah, the French manager stated, "His potential is higher than his performance at the moment."
He added, "We have to reduce this gap because he needs (it) and the team needs (it)."
Sage continued, "First of all when you have the talent and the skills in you, it's a mental thing."
He further noted, "You have to be quiet, you have to be determined and you have to find the balance between these two things."
Sage also mentioned, "I think in his situation the fight to don't play too much, the fight to have pressure when you play because you need to score to stay on the pitch or this kind of thing, it's maybe a bad period."
He stated, "But when he will switch, I think he's able to do really important things for us."
Regarding Smith Rowe, Sage remarked, "But I know another player in the other team, Smith Rowe, and I think it's similar."
He concluded, "I think it's a big potential and now he's not at his level what we saw before."
Nketiah, originally from Lewisham, developed through the ranks at Arsenal and accumulated 38 goals across 168 appearances for the club.
He maintains the record for most goals scored for the England Under-21 team, having registered 16 goals across 17 caps.
His tenure with Arsenal concluded when he transferred to Crystal Palace in 2024 for a fee of approximately £25million.
The transfer was intended to serve as a stepping stone toward further career progression.
However, Nketiah has secured only five goals in 48 Premier League appearances for the Eagles, following a single senior England appearance as a substitute against Australia in 2023.
He currently sits behind Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jorgen Strand Larsen in the centre-forward hierarchy, frequently featuring merely as a substitute.
Despite this, his first-time finish from Oscar Mingueza cross in the 37th minute against Fulham demonstrated his natural striking instincts.
Sage commented, "I know what kind of player he is, what kind of player he could be."
He added, "I spoke with him last week because to be honest I waited more for him and I think the message is in his head."
For Smith Rowe, the situation at Fulham appears increasingly difficult.
He missed a 1-0 victory against Hull earlier in the month due to an injury, though subsequent fitness and availability did not prevent consecutive omissions.
Smith Rowe previously earned the moniker "Croydon De Bruyne" for his creativity, standing alongside close friend Bukayo Saka as a notable graduate of Arsenal Hale End academy.
The playmaker recorded ten Premier League goals for the Gunners during the 2021-22 season, establishing himself as a central figure for their midfield.
That period yielded three senior England caps alongside his sole international goal during a 10-0 victory against San Marino.
Mikel Arteta subsequently transferred Smith Rowe to Fulham in 2024 for £35m, leading to mixed results.
An initial return of six Premier League goals under Marco Silva preceded three goals during the subsequent campaign.
The departure of Silva and subsequent appointment of Arbeloa has proved challenging for the South London player.
Former Real Madrid figure Arbeloa has limited Smith Rowe to 40 minutes of Premier League action this season, culminating in his recent omission from the Carabao Cup squad.
When questioned by SunSport regarding the exclusion of Smith Rowe, Arbeloa stated, "He had some issues two weeks ago."
He continued, "And since then it's not easy for anyone to be in the squad because every week five players are out of the squad. It's not easy for me to pick 11 players and then pick 20 players (including subs)."
Arbeloa concluded, "So he needs to continue working as he's doing and fight for a position on a match day. That's the problem when you have a really big squad like I have."
Both former Arsenal players navigate a challenging phase as they seek to recover their previous form.
