Country: England
Smith Rowe to stay at Arsenal, but now Willock needs clarity on and off pitch
It's no surprise Smith Rowe will stay at Arsenal but as Arteta looks to develop a younger side, he must work out how to use Willock too
theathletic.com
Mikel Arteta, speaking for the first time this pre-season, has brought welcome news for Arsenal fans.
Following the 2-1 friendly loss to Hibernian in Edinburgh last night, the Arsenal manager answered questions surrounding the game and the travelling squad at the side of the pitch.
With much of the talk this summer surrounding Emile Smith Rowe’s future, Arteta was as insistent as most have been throughout the summer that the 20-year-old will remain in north London this summer.
“Without a question. Yes. He (Smith Rowe) will stay here — 100 per cent,” he said at Easter Road.
Then came a follow-up on his views on the two bids made by Aston Villa to try and prise Smith Rowe away to the Midlands. A pause followed and with a smile, he answered “no comment” before ending with a laugh.
With Smith Rowe a key figure in Arsenal’s upturn in form midway through last season, the notion of now selling him, to most observers connected with the club, has been laughable. The attacking midfielder, who turns 21 this month, is about to embark on his first full season of Premier League football and should remain an essential element of Arteta’s plans.
With the nature of pre-season fixtures, especially the first one, not much can be read into these encounters. For instance, against Hibernian, who finished third in the Premiership last season, Arsenal played a 4-4-2 — a system they are not likely to use often in the coming season — but one thing that did continue from 2020-21 was that they were much better with Smith Rowe on the pitch.
That ability to move the ball with so few touches to speed the game up was vital and will remain so once the games begin to matter next month. The midfielder scoring their only goal of the night will not count as much of a consolation considering the result, but as an area of his game that he is looking to improve, continuing to make those steps will be as encouraging as the confidence around keeping him.
Although Arsenal have only officially signed one player so far in this window — Nuno Tavares — the direction they are attempting to move has been exemplified clearly since his arrival. The 21-year-old left-back was brought in last week primarily to deputise for Kieran Tierney. His introductory interview exploded on social media as he referred to Smith Rowe as “The Smith”, but importantly, the reason he pointed him out was “because he is (in) my generation”.
The remit throughout this summer in regards to incoming transfers has been younger players with scope to improve, rather than more experienced players who have been bought in past windows. With that clear direction, identifying those who already fit that bracket at the club remains imperative, especially when they are as talented and useful as Smith Rowe.
Following the 2-1 friendly loss to Hibernian in Edinburgh last night, the Arsenal manager answered questions surrounding the game and the travelling squad at the side of the pitch.
With much of the talk this summer surrounding Emile Smith Rowe’s future, Arteta was as insistent as most have been throughout the summer that the 20-year-old will remain in north London this summer.
“Without a question. Yes. He (Smith Rowe) will stay here — 100 per cent,” he said at Easter Road.
Then came a follow-up on his views on the two bids made by Aston Villa to try and prise Smith Rowe away to the Midlands. A pause followed and with a smile, he answered “no comment” before ending with a laugh.
With Smith Rowe a key figure in Arsenal’s upturn in form midway through last season, the notion of now selling him, to most observers connected with the club, has been laughable. The attacking midfielder, who turns 21 this month, is about to embark on his first full season of Premier League football and should remain an essential element of Arteta’s plans.
With the nature of pre-season fixtures, especially the first one, not much can be read into these encounters. For instance, against Hibernian, who finished third in the Premiership last season, Arsenal played a 4-4-2 — a system they are not likely to use often in the coming season — but one thing that did continue from 2020-21 was that they were much better with Smith Rowe on the pitch.
That ability to move the ball with so few touches to speed the game up was vital and will remain so once the games begin to matter next month. The midfielder scoring their only goal of the night will not count as much of a consolation considering the result, but as an area of his game that he is looking to improve, continuing to make those steps will be as encouraging as the confidence around keeping him.
Although Arsenal have only officially signed one player so far in this window — Nuno Tavares — the direction they are attempting to move has been exemplified clearly since his arrival. The 21-year-old left-back was brought in last week primarily to deputise for Kieran Tierney. His introductory interview exploded on social media as he referred to Smith Rowe as “The Smith”, but importantly, the reason he pointed him out was “because he is (in) my generation”.
The remit throughout this summer in regards to incoming transfers has been younger players with scope to improve, rather than more experienced players who have been bought in past windows. With that clear direction, identifying those who already fit that bracket at the club remains imperative, especially when they are as talented and useful as Smith Rowe.
