Another enthralling Premier League season has come and gone for Arsenal and although the team didn’t reach their ultimate goal, there were a plethora of bright sparks across the team and very few shone brighter than Emile Smith-Rowe.
After breaking into the first team midway through the 2020/21 season, Smith-Rowe had some lofty expectations placed on his shoulders by manager Mikel Arteta and although he didn’t manage to reach those lofty heights, he acquitted himself admirably throughout the course of the season.
After breaking into the first time and exhibiting an array of stellar performances, Smith-Rowe was not only rewarded with a new long-term contract, but with the iconic number 10 shirt worn by many Arsenal greats before him. With this new responsibility, his manager didn’t hesitate to detail what was expected of Smith-Rowe as he stated “An incredible season for a number 10 of Arsenal means he needs to score 15 goals and give 10 assists. Then you are right up there with the top guys in Europe and in the league. He’s [Smith-Rowe] got the ability to do it but he hasn’t done it”.
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Such output would have indeed put Smith-Rowe up there with the world best as only Mohamed Salah (23G/13A), Karim Benzema (27G/12A) and Kylian Mbappe (28G/19A) managed to eclipse those numbers in this league season which reflects the height of the mountain the Smith-Rowe has entrusted to climb.
Although Smith-Rowe didn’t manage to attain these colossal expectations, he was a key component in the Arsenal squad this year. The Englishman netted 10 Premier League goals along with providing 2 assists and proved to be the man for the big occasion netting goals against Tottenham, Manchester United, Leicester and West Ham respectively. His performances also caught the eye of England national team manager Gareth Southgate as he was rewarded with call ups to the national team.
Inevitably at such a tender age, the young starlet couldn’t maintain a high level of excellence throughout the entirety of the campaign as only 2 of his 10 Premier League goals came in 2022. However, as with Arteta’s new vision for his time, he did display the kind of tenacity and work rate that will make him a staple at the Emirates for years to come. Delving deeper into his statistics at the other end of the pitch, he managed 105 recoveries, won 74 duels and was successful on 32 occasions in 50/50 battles. Arteta not only demands hid forward players to clinical in front of goal which Smith-Rowe was as his 10 goals were only bettered by Bukayo Saka (11), but that same application needs to be shown at the other end which Smith-Rowe has indicated more than a willingness to do.
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The weight of carrying the number 10 is not lost on Smith-Rowe as he himself revealed in the press conference after signing his new deal “Everyone knows that number 10 is a big shirt, and it is definitely a big position as well”. With a litany of Arsenal legends having dawned that number such as Dennis Bergkamp, Mesut Ozil and Paul Merson, Smith-Rowe will know that he will be under high pressure to deliver the quality of performances that are worthy of the shirt.
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Nevertheless, with the Englishman’s natural talent combined with his propensity to show up in the big moments, there is no doubt that with the foundation that he has already laid down for himself accompanied with his mangers determination to extract the best out of him, there is little doubt that this young superstar won’t continue to illuminate the Emirates Stadium for years to come.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Arsenal, Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah, Emile Smith-Rowe, Mikel Arteta