Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe is deserving of his England call-up
When Arsenal needed a goal, it was Emile Smith Rowe.
This has been the way of things this season, with the 21-year-old among the Premier League’s most productive players in terms of goals and assists (six) since the start of September.
Smith Rowe’s strike against Watford on Sunday was just another case of him making the difference for the Gunners.
Of course, Arsenal’s victory, their sixth from their last eight league games, also saw others like Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Bukayo Saka and Ben White impress, but the defensive stability demonstrated by Mikel Arteta’s side would have been for little had it not given someone a platform to score a winner.
Smith Rowe's rise
Smith Rowe’s ascent to one of Arsenal’s most important players has been remarkable. This time last year, the midfielder was merely trying to force his way into Arteta’s starting lineup.
He had to wait until Boxing Day for his breakout match in a win over Chelsea - that opportunity only came his way due to injuries.
Now, Smith Rowe is one of the most accomplished attacking midfielders in the Premier League, and that was on show in the victory at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Against Watford, the 21-year-old had 43 touches, finished with a pass success rate of 96%, delivered six crosses, made three ball recoveries, and registered two shots.
His goal means Smith Rowe is now one of four Arsenal players to have scored in three straight Premier League games before their 22nd birthday, after Nicolas Anelka, Jose Antonio Reyes and Cesc Fabregas.
His potential is obvious, and Arteta must build his attack around the most complete young player to have come through the Gunners’ academy in a generation.
All this makes it somewhat bizarre that Smith Rowe has yet to be capped at senior level for England.
England awaits for Emile
While Gareth Southgate has been quick to fast-track other young talents into the national team, the Arsenal midfielder is still only capped for the under-21s.
He has, however, now been included in Southgate's squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Albania and San Marino after Marcus Rashford withdrew.
Previously, Southgate admitted Smith Rowe was “very close” to being called up, and it should be noted that England are spoilt for choice in the attacking midfield roles, but it had felt like a wasted opportunity for an ever-improving young talent not to have been integrated sooner into a squad he will surely be a part of for years to come.
It can be difficult to nail down Smith Rowe’s exact position for Arsenal, and perhaps that's complicated things at international level, too.
On paper, the 21-year-old is most frequently deployed on the left wing. This was the case for Sunday’s match against Watford, but Smith Rowe ended up scoring the winner from a late run into the box made from a central position. Arteta generally gives him the freedom to drift.
The most impressive thing about Smith Rowe’s improvement over the last 12 months has been how he has added final product to his game, something that tends to come later in a young player's development.
Last season, he averaged 0.12 goals, 0.81 shots, 0.37 shots on target, 2.86 touches in the opposition box and 0.62 dribbles per 90 minutes.
This season, he’s averaging 0.33 goals, 1.5 shots, 1.0 shots on target, 3.13 touches in the opposition box and 1.8 dribbles per 90 minutes.
Smith Rowe has registered more shots in 11 Premier League appearances this season than he did in 20 last season.
There has been some discussion over what Arteta wants from the centre forward in his system, but his tactical game plan is often built to get Smith Rowe into as many goal-scoring positions as possible.
“We’re demanding that to get to another level he needs to start deciding games,” Arteta said after the win over Watford, suggesting Smith Rowe’s numbers are the result of a deliberate effort by the Arsenal coaching staff.
“He’s capable of doing that, he believes in that now, he’s confident and he needs to continue doing it.”
His average of 2.1 successful take-ons per 90 minutes this season is four times higher than it was last season and illustrates how Smith Rowe has become a rounded attacking threat for Arsenal.
He is capable of picking a pass (averaging 1.4 key passes per 90 minutes this season), but is also comfortable when having to drive past an opponent.
Arteta boasts a core of young English players - see Saka, White, Maitland-Niles and Aaron Ramsdale - that give Arsenal genuine hope for the future, but Smith Rowe is at the vanguard of that group.
Southgate has now given Smith Rowe his first call up, and it is a deserving one thanks to the remarkable improvement shown from the Arsenal youngster.