Alan Smith lauded Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s performance during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Watford yesterday, as he told Super Sunday on Sky Sports.
The former striker spoke about how he could have possibly left Arsenal in the summer, but he thinks the ‘talented’ player was ‘really solid’ at the Emirates.
Maitland-Niles came into the midfield for Arsenal because Thomas Partey was injured, not forgetting the already absent Granit Xhaka.
But despite all the drama that surrounded the player in the summer, he is now letting his football do the talking because, every time he earns minutes, he impresses.
Well, he did so well yesterday that Smith, whilst on commentary duty for Sky, handed the Hale-End academy product the Man of the Match award.
“He has done well Maitland-Niles coming in,” said Smith. “He has been really solid, not spectacular.
“He has moved the ball on and he has defensively been solid. It’s good to see.
“I am going to give it to Maitland-Niles (MOTM award), he could have left Arsenal in the summer, he’s a talented boy. When asked, he has come to the fore today.”
The problem that Maitland-Niles faced in North London is where does he play?
From playing right-back to being deployed in the middle of the park, and going back and forth, it hasn’t helped his progression.
Whilst his loan spell at West Brom last season ended in relegation, it seems as though that experience has made him tougher and wiser.
And just like Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, he will be hoping to make the same strides as them because they are bang in form.
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