Hardly-seen £40k-a-week Arsenal star now tipped to start v West Ham
Reporter James McNicholas is of the opinion that Emile Smith Rowe has a strong likelihood of being in the starting lineup for Arsenal in their match against West Ham United.
In the previous game, Emile Smith Rowe received his initial Premier League start for Arsenal in more than a season, facing Sheffield United.
Although his performance against Sheffield United was average, the experience of playing benefited the Hale End academy graduate. Smith Rowe is now eager to build on that recent opportunity.
At 23 years old, he requires regular game time to regain his best form. Mikel Arteta is well aware of the immense potential of this player who earns around £40,000 a week.
In the 2021/22 season, when Smith Rowe was fit, in top form, and consistently part of the team, he scored ten goals in 33 Premier League appearances.
However, since then, his progress has been hindered by various setbacks. Despite this, he remains a beloved figure among the fans at the Emirates Stadium, and they are eagerly anticipating his resurgence at the club.
Still a long road ahead of Emile Smith Rowe
Earning a Premier League starting position marked a crucial advancement in his journey back up the team’s hierarchy.
James McNicholas has expressed his support for the player, predicting that he will further advance by getting a chance to play at the London Stadium.
Speaking on the Arsecast Extra podcast, he said, “there’s a Carabao [Cup] game against West Ham on Wednesday night, you’d have to think he’s the sort of player who might look at that and think, that could be another start for me.”
Lately, there’s been interest from other Premier League clubs in acquiring Smith Rowe.
Nevertheless, Arsenal has unequivocally stated that they currently have no intentions of selling the three-time capped England international. Arteta’s trust in Smith Rowe remains evident.
Smith Rowe still has a significant journey ahead to reclaim his prior place in Arteta’s plans, especially with fierce competition.
The arrivals of Fabio Vieira, Leandro Trossard, and Kai Havertz have introduced further challenges for him to secure playing time. However, considering Smith Rowe’s innate talent, few would doubt his potential to resurface as a standout player at the Emirates Stadium in due course.
Hardly-seen £40k-a-week Arsenal star now tipped to start v West Ham