Mikel Arteta has lavished praise on Arsenal attacker Emile Smith Rowe, describing the academy starlet as ‘extraordinary’.
Smith Rowe was among Arsenal’s shining lights during the first half of the campaign.
However, the 21-year-old hasn’t started a Premier League outing for the Gunners in well over a month.
The English midfielder has regularly appeared in substitute appearances since then.
And Arteta has told Football London that Smith Rowe falling out of favour stemmed from losing fitness.
Asked about why he lost his starting spot, the Spanish manager said:
“The reason that happened is because he wasn’t fit. Nothing else. His performances when they’ve been fit have been extraordinary. I think the importance he has in the team is without a doubt really positive.
“But he’s had an issue he’s been carrying which has affected his ability to train, his ability to compete, the amount of minutes we can give him, and we are trying to get that situation resolved as quick as possible because we need the best version of Emile for us to be successful.”
Immense
The England international genuinely is an immense talent and although Arteta can’t guarantee him a spot in the starting lineup now, there’s no denying that he’ll continue to be a massive player for Arsenal.
Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, Smith Rowe, who has eight Premier League goals this season, has proven a game-changing ability nonetheless.
In fact, only three footballers in the Premier League have scored more than the London Colney starlet – Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Jamie Vardy – and that perfectly sums up his importance to the Emirates Stadium outfit.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
