Emile Smith Rowe has admitted that he is working to improve on his assists tally this season after notching just two in all competitions for Arsenal in the last 12 months.
The 21 year-old struggled for first-team opportunities since Christmas, with Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard’s impressive form limiting his minutes, but that didn’t stop him from notching a personal record of 11 goals for the campaign (including 10 in the English Premier League).
Smith Rowe will now be hoping that he can work his way back into starting line-up ahead of the new season with a number of competitions set to open up more opportunities for a number of players, and he admits that he is studying the likes of Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City pair Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva as he looks to improve his numbers.
“I didn’t really get many assists last season,” he told the DailyMail. “That is one factor I am going to try and improve this season.”
“[I have been] studying, watching games and clips. Seeing where I should have passed it, or the timing of my passes, and where I can create more chances.
“Obviously not just me, watching other players in the league as well.”
When asked which ‘other players’ he had been looking at in particular, he named: “Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount.”
I’m a little surprised to see the Chelsea midfielder’s name on this select list if I’m honest, but Mount’s numbers are nothing to play down after the season he just had. Smith Rowe appears to have the right mentality, working on something that he is not happy with behind the scenes. I imagine some players would have thought they had made it after breaking through into the first-team, but ESR seems to believe that there is much work to be done, and he isn’t wrong.
I can’t wait to see what more is to come from Emile and our other exciting young talents this season, and it will be most impressive if he is able to earn his spot back in the starting XI.
Who do you think is most at risk of losing their place to ESR this term?
Patrick
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