"Watching other players in the league" - Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe names Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City stars he looks up to in the Premier League
Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe has revealed that he watches clips of Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Chelsea's Mason Mount to improve his game. The Englishman also named Manchester City duo Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva as players he studies closely.
Smith Rowe enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Gunners last season. The 21-year-old made 37 appearances across all competitions and ended up as their second-highest goalscorer with 11 strikes. He also managed two assists, a number he wants to improve on in the 2022-23 season.
The Arsenal youngster recently said (as quoted by the Daily Mail):
"I didn't really get many assists last season. That is one factor I am going to try and improve this season."
The midfielder notably missed a few matches last season due to injury issues. When questioned about how he worked on his game during his spells on the sidelines, Smith Rowe responded:
"Studying, watching games and clips. Seeing where I should have passed it, or the timing of my passes, and where I can create more chances. Obviously not just me, watching other players in the league as well."
Emile Smith Rowe opens up on 'funny' Mikel Arteta, feeding inner adrenaline junkie and resisting junk food cravings | @_DanMatthews_ trib.al/iecCf4w
The Arsenal youngster was further pressed about which players he watched. He replied by naming one player apiece from Manchester United and Chelsea, and two from Manchester City:
"Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount."
How did the Manchester City duo, Manchester United's Fernandes and Chelsea's Mount perform last season?
De Bruyne, Silva and Fernandes are easily among the best midfielders in the Premier League right now while Mount is a burgeoning talent.
De Bruyne arguably enjoyed the best 2021-22 season out of all four players statistically. The Belgian amazingly scored 19 times and laid out 14 assists in 45 matches across all competitions.
Kevin De Bruyne’s PL season by numbers [30 apps]:
1,172 passes completed (76% acc.)
205 prog. carries
157 prog. passes
139 shot-creating actions
88 chances created
77 shots (31 on target)
15 goals (6.4 xG)
14 goal-creating actions
8 assists (9.5 xA)
Title-winning pass. 🅰️🇧🇪 https://t.co/tBP7IlD9wq
While the stats don't really show, Silva was spectacular for Manchester City. The Portuguese maestro came up with several phenomenal displays and was key to the Cityzens retaining the Premier League title.
Fernandes, meanwhile, struggled for Manchester United after a bright start. The 27-year-old ended the campaign with 10 goals and 14 assists from 46 matches, marking a significant fall in his numbers from the 2020-21 season.
Lastly, Mount enjoyed his most productive campaign for Chelsea. The Englishman scored 13 goals and recorded 16 assists in 53 games across all competitions for the Blues.
Emile Smith Rowe will face more competition at Arsenal this season
Arsenal struggled at times to create clear-cut goalscoring opportunities last season.
Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard did provide a dash of creativity from midfield, but the Gunners clearly needed more. They have addressed those needs by bringing in Fabio Vieira from FC Porto this summer.
The Portuguese midfielder will likely rival Smith Rowe and Odegaard for a place in the XI. Arsenal will hope this pushes the duo to up their level as they look to get back into the top four.