Arsenal are a club well and truly on top at the moment, in every sense of the phrase.
They currently sit eight points clear atop the Premier League table, with a team full of likeable stars that have been assembled by Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard stands as the crowning jewel of their continued faith in youth, as they entrusted him to mastermind the revolution and stuck with him through some tough times.
Now, the Gunners are reaping the rewards, with a squad they can be proud of.
One thing that makes their outfit even more appealing is the abundance of young talent, as they boast the lowest average squad age in the league despite leading the title charge. Their current success is mighty impressive, but the future success this team promises is almost frightening.
That's without mentioning the host of talent just waiting to be unleashed from the academy, all of whom will envision walking the well-trodden path to the first team.
One such name who could soon be in line for a promotion is Matthew Smith, who boasts all the silkiness and tenacity to draw comparisons to a former Hale End graduate, Jack Wilshere.
Who is Matthew Smith?
Having joined the club at the age of eight, this exciting central midfielder has plenty of technical ability to compete with the very best despite his age.
On Arsenal's official website, they even note him as: "A technically gifted central midfielder with an impressive passing range."
Yet it is his leadership and work rate that truly set him apart, with his role in captaining the U18s back in 2019 supporting the former.
The latter is exacerbated in his performances in the Football League Trophy this campaign, where he has recorded a 7.00 average rating for starring in the engine room.
This period saw him record an outstanding 2.7 tackles, two interceptions and two clearances per 90, yet managed to maintain one key pass alongside his 88% pass accuracy (via Sofascore).
Upon bursting onto the scene, Wilshere too was an all-action midfielder with incredible proficiency with the ball at his feet. He could glide past opponents and earned glowing praise from Arsene Wenger upon announcing his early retirement due to injuries.
The recent inductee into the Premier League's Hall of Fame stated: "He was brave, he was talented, he wasn't scared of anybody – which is why we thought he could start at a very young age. Straight away he showed he had the ability to be a main player.
"He was an exceptional talent but didn't play enough games because of injury and in the end that is why he's had to stop."
There is hope that Smith can avoid such injury woes, but given he is 22 years old his body is far more developed than Wilshere's was upon his emergence.
Branded a "talented youngster" by journalist Layth Yousif, perhaps he could finally fulfil that potential that never came to fruition.