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Willian And Pepe Could Make Smith Rowe Another Gnabry’ – Wright Fears Arsenal Exit For Talented Youngster


 The Gunners great wants the management at Emirates Stadium to ensure that they do not allow another promising playmaker to slip their net

Arsenal need to ensure that Emile Smith Rowe does not become another Serge Gnabry says Ian Wright, with the Gunners great concerned that regular game time for underperforming Willian and Nicolas Pepe could force another academy graduate to look elsewhere.

Mikel Arteta has been putting his faith in youth lately, with a different approach favoured on the back of a poor start to the 2020-21 campaign at Emirates Stadium.

With seasoned performers such as Willian and Pepe struggling for form and Mesut Ozil frozen out of the picture, Arsenal have had to look elsewhere for creative inspiration.

Smith Rowe has provided that during a run of three successive Premier League wins, with the 20-year-old playmaker impressing after being given an opportunity.

Wright wants Arteta to resist the urge to return so-called stars to his starting XI, saying that overlooking potential at this stage could leave Arsenal with another Gnabry on their hands, after the current Bayern Munich winger left north London in order to fulfil his potential.

“It must be brilliant going into training at the moment for someone like Emile Smith Rowe,” the Gunners great told Wrighty’s House Podcast. “He’s somebody who has had his injuries, he’s gone on loan, he’s done his stuff. For me, Smith Rowe has paid his dues out there, waiting for his chance.

“I think that what Mikel has done now, the timing with which he’s done it, is absolutely perfect because I think if Smith Rowe doesn’t get into this team, at this stage, and they carry on doing what they’re doing and persisting with people who are not performing at the levels they should – whether it’s Willian or [Nicolas] Pepe – I think you lose him.

“Especially with January being here, and then we’ve got a Serge Gnabry on our hands.”

Smith Rowe is not the only player to have impressed for Arsenal of late, with Wright saluting Arteta’s squad for raising collective standards when serious questions were being of those on and off the field.

He added: “Gabriel Martinelli and Smith Rowe have energised [Alexandre] Lacazette, we’ve seen what [Bukayo] Saka is doing. [Kieran] Tierney is amazing, future captain, you can see. [Rob] Holding, [Pablo] Mari looks okay, he’s going to be tested at some stage and we’ll see that.

“[Granit] Xhaka and [Mohamed] Elneny in the middle there, just the energy. It’s seems like everybody has risen up a little bit.

“We beat a Chelsea side where people were thinking we were going to get hammered and we beat West Brom. West Brom drew with Manchester City!


READ ALSO: A Boost For Arsenal As Key Midfielder Partey Returns

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 7, 2021 at 5:39 AM

    I think he's right cz smith Rowe can be a promising play maker cz he only makes touches on ball while passing it his teammates. Arteta need to get rid of willian if he doesn't improve at the end of the season.

    ReplyDelete

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