“He’s put his head down” - Arteta says ‘tremendous’ Arsenal star was joy to watch in Nottingham Forest win
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta heaped praise on midfielder Emile Smith Rowe following the 2-1 Premier League win at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday (January 30).
The 23-year-old, making only his second league start of the season, started in a midfield three alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. He up with a pretty solid display before coming off for Kai Havertz in the 71st minute.
Arteta hailed Smith Rowe for his attitude in training and said that he deserved his chance to start (as quoted by Metro):
"I thought he was really good. I think he looked exactly the same that he looks in training, and every time that we have put him in this year, he fully deserved the chance.
"He’s put his head down. He’s worked so hard. His attitude is really good, and he’s a tremendous player. You see the way he moves. He's just a joy to watch."
Coming to the game, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners a two-goal lead.
Taiwo Awoniyi's 89th-minute strike made for a nervy finish. But the north London giants held on for all three points to move to within two points of leaders Liverpool, who take on Chelsea on Wednesday, January 31.
Smith Rowe has played just 337 minutes across competitions this season, having missed nine games with a knee injury. He also missed 14 games due to injuries last season.
Matt Turner made wrong call by leaving Arsenal, says pundit
Former USA striker Charlie Davies has said that Matt Turner made a mistake by leaving Arsenal for Nottingham Forest. Turner left the Gunners in the summer and joined Forest in a £10 million deal, as he sought more playing time.
However, things haven't quite worked out for the 29-year-old at Forest, as he has often been shaky between the sticks. Turner has also made several costly errors for the Tricky Trees, who find themselves just ahead of the relegation zone.
Davies explained why the USA international made the wrong choice by leaving Arsenal for Nottingham Forest (via TBR Football):
"Let’s just say in hindsight this wasn’t a great move to leave Arsenal for Nottingham Forest.
"In hindsight, to look back and say you’re leaving a team in the Champions League and competing for the Premier League title to go to Forest where the quality drops drastically, and you’re going to be blamed for a lot of issues because your backline isn’t strong."
Turner has made 18 appearances across competitions this season, keeping three clean sheets. Nottingham are 16th in the league, two points above the drop zone.