Arsenal legend David Seaman is backing playmaker Emile Smith Rowe to start against Brentford in the EFL Cup tonight.
Emile Smith Rowe is primed for a rare Arsenal start as Mikel Arteta takes his side to face Brentford this evening.
That is according to Arsenal legend David Seaman, who has been speaking to The Express about Smith Rowe.
The Gunners turn their attention to the EFL Cup tonight, just days after a frustrating 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
Arteta will be desperate to get back to winning ways here, but the EFL Cup presents a chance for squad rotation – and potentially a start for Smith Rowe.
Emile Smith Rowe has endured a difficult time at Arsenal
Smith Rowe emerged as a first-team ace alongside Bukayo Saka before really taking his game forward in the 2021-22 campaign, smashing 10 Premier League goals in 33 games.
The hope was that Smith Rowe would continue to grow and develop but he went from that 10-goal campaign to no league starts last season.
Smith Rowe didn’t start a game in any competition last season and his last Arsenal start came way back in May 2022.
Injuries have been a problem at times, and the standards have certainly risen at Arsenal over the last year.
Yet it’s hard for some Arsenal fans to accept that Fabio Vieira and Kai Havertz receive midfield chances over Smith Rowe, with some supporters still big fans of the Croydon-born playmaker.
David Seaman predicts Smith Rowe start
Tonight’s game against Brentford seems like an ideal opportunity for Smith Rowe to shine, especially with Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli all out injured.
Frankly, if Smith Rowe doesn’t start tonight then he may need to seriously consider his Arsenal future.
One man who is convinced that Smith Rowe will start tonight is former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman.
Speaking to The Express, Seaman believes that Smith Rowe is getting his fitness levels up with substitute appearances and should be ready to go as a starter.
Seaman added that Arteta must balance his squad and keep everybody happy, and is ‘sure’ that Smith Rowe will finally start a game this evening.
“He’s starting to get on [the pitch] now, his fitness levels should be top quality,” said Seaman. “He’s had injuries. It’s a case of balancing it, similarly to the goalkeeper situation – keep players happy, try and give them time. I’m sure he’ll start against Brentford,” he added.
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