- Rob Edwards sees Emile Smith Rowe as an ‘exceptional’ player for Arsenal
- He remembers Smith Rowe from England Under-20s and has always admired him
- Arsenal have FINALLY grown up… they were soft and you can’t say that anymore. It all starts
Rob Edwards has praised Emile Smith Rowe as ‘exceptional’ after his man of the match performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Luton Town.
Smith Rowe set Arsenal up for Martin Odegaard’s opening goal before providing the ‘assist’ for their second goal – a Daiki Hashioka own goal that Reiss Nelson looked to claim.
It was only his third start of the league season – his fourth in all competitions – but he underlined his quality with a creative display.
Isaan Khan of Mail Sport gave Smith Rowe an 8 in his player ratings for the match.
Edwards said: ‘He’s a really good player. I was lucky, he probably won’t remember it, but I did a few England camps with him in the Under-20s when I was in the FA and I thought he was excellent.
Rob Edwards called Emile Smith Rowe (pictured) an ‘exceptional’ player after Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Luton
Luton boss Edwards said he has ‘always been a great admirer’ of Smith Rowe since his youth
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“We played against Portugal and won 4-0 in Portugal (in 2019) and I thought he was brilliant and I’ve always been a great admirer of him.
‘I really liked him. He is a top player. They have a lot of top players here and he was unlucky not to get in, but I think he is an exceptional player.”
With Arsenal bursting at the seams with talent and Smith Rowe struggling with injuries, it has been a marginal campaign for the Hale End academy graduate.
He is still only 23 but there is time for him to get back into the team, but his influence has diminished compared to the 2021/22 season when he scored 11 goals in 37 games.
But with seven games left in April – and potentially an eighth if they reach the Champions League semi-finals – he could play a crucial role in the run-in.
Rotation will be crucial for Mikel Arteta’s side as they look to compete on the domestic and European front.
A quarter-final assignment against their old nemesis, Bayern Munich, awaits after a game with Brighton this Saturday.
Arteta made five changes for the match against Luton and was pleased with the way fringe players such as Smith Rowe, Nelson and Thomas Partey acquitted themselves.
Smith Rowe was instrumental in both of Arsenal’s goals as they went top of the Premier League
Mikel Arteta said he loves Smith Rowe as a player and he is a joy to watch on the pitch
He said: “They responded really well and I’m so happy with that. It was a beautiful game.
“When they get their moment, they have to take it and they certainly did that today. They give me every reason (to choose them) every day.
“If we had lost the game it would have happened because we made the changes, and it’s not that simple. You have to do what is right, what they deserve and that is good trust.’
‘I love him as a player (Smith Rowe). It’s a pleasure to watch him with the way he moves and also how physical he is.
“He also helped us enormously today to win the match.”