)
The midfielder has, however, struggled for game time since fully recovering from a groin injury.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has overseen massive transformation since taking charge in 2019 not just with the culture and values he instilled in the club, but also with his tactical blueprint on the pitch.
Within the first eight months of his time in charge of the club, he led the club to an FA Cup win, setting the team to be pragmatic in a 3-4-3 formation and taking advantage of gaps on the counter-attack using Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s pace.
However, the club would produce inconsistent results the next season using this approach, with a bad run of form from October to December 2020 putting him on the brink, as the club struggled to create real goalscoring opportunities using that setup.
Following Covid-19-enforced absentees to Brazilian trio of summer signings David Luiz, Gabriel and Willian, Arteta was forced to change, and so he decided to start Emile Smith Rowe against Chelsea on Boxing Day 2020, alongside fellow teenagers, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Granit Xhaka and Mohammed Elneny forming the pivot.
)
14:32 - 05.05.2023
PREMIER LEAGUE Arsenal handed major boost in Caicedo pursuit
The Ecuador international was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in January.
The three teenagers inspired the side to a 3-1 victory, which set the tone for more consistently positive results, with Smith Rowe becoming a key player, although the club also added Martin Odegaard to the ranks that January.
Smith Rowe got handed a new contract and number 10 shirt to reflect his growing importance to the team the following season, and he followed it up with 10 Premier League goals and two assists as the club moved from eighth place to fifth, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.
In the summer, Arsenal added Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City and brought back William Saliba who was on loan to Marseille, and it inspired the side to produce solid performances and resulted in Arteta’s 2-3-5 formation in build-up and attack, which saw Zinchenko and White inverting to support Thomas Partey in midfield, and Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka bombed forwards as free 8s to join the attack of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Bukayo Saka.
Although Smith Rowe took part in the side’s opening pre-season game against Numberg, his long-standing groin injury resurfaced, which hindered him from breaking into the starting lineup for the season.
He still made a handful of substitute appearances when the season started, but the injury became unbearable against Manchester United, which required him to undergo surgery that ruled him out for four-and-a-half months.
)
17:30 - 11.04.2023
PREMIER LEAGUE Kinyanjui: Arsenal fans be warned! why Manchester City’s priority is to win Premier League
Arsenal fans need to be warned! Manchester City still wants this title more than anything.
On getting back to full fitness in February, he has struggled to get enough game time, which has pondered questions regarding his future at the club.
Reports indicate that Arteta is training Smith Rowe to play in central midfield in Arsenal training these days as he tries to teach the youngster how to play in a deeper role.
According to Football London, he is setting personal bests in terms of strength and speed, while his nutrition has also improved. It's a bit of a mystery why he is hardly playing.
Reiss Nelson is ahead of him in the pecking order at the moment, but Smith Rowe has been training as a central midfielder, so it is probably more apt to say that it's Fabio Vieira who is in front of him in the queue despite a slow start to life in England for the former FC Porto man.
As we know, Arsenal does not have too much depth in the midfield these days, but adding Smith Rowe into the mix would be a huge boost. Arteta's previous success in transitioning David Silva at Manchester City could bode well for Smith Rowe.
Adapting to this new role may be crucial for Smith Rowe's Arsenal career amidst competition in attacking midfield positions.
)
14:00 - 04.05.2023
FKFPL Matano slams Brewers’ alarming lack of urgency in FKF-PL business end
Tusker were held to a 0-0 draw by Nicholas Muyoti's Nairobi City Stars on Wednesday.
The club have been heavily linked with moves for Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo, and Mason Mount as potent Granit Xhaka replacements, but if Smith Rowe can adapt to this role, the club may already have an internal solution after all.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)