Arsenal: 3 primary tasks for Emile Smith Rowe next season

Arsenal's English midfielder Emile Smith Rowe (R) vies with Crystal Palace's Ivorian striker Wilfried Zaha (L) during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park in south London on May 19, 2021. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 09: Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal celebrates after scoring their sides first goal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Newcastle United. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

3. Scoring Goals and Registering Assists

The obvious one. Any player at any club donning the No. 10 shirt has this responsibility. Apart from William Gallas, and the less said the better.

Grabbing three goals and registering seven assists in the Premier League and Europa League last season, getting into double figures for goals next term is perhaps his most primary task.

It was an area of his game that was seen developing as the season progressed. Smith Rowe scored his first Premier League goal against West Brom on matchday 35 and immediately followed it up with the winner against Chelsea three days later.

One of the most vital traits within football and something Arsenal players didn’t do anywhere near enough of in 2020/21 was get into goal scoring positions. Meaningful space that isn’t occupied for the sake of it.

Gabriel Martinelli is a master of this despite his young age. A natural eye for goal, sniffing out the danger zones and, crucially, knowing when to exploit these gaps.

While totally different remits, Smith Rowe began showing greater predatory instincts with each passing week. The timings of his penalty box arrivals were sharper and his reading of the situations in the final third improved as his fearlessness to attack grew.

It always seems unjust to pin targets on players of his relative inexperience and age, but double figures for goals should a bar to aim for. He unquestionably has it within his locker.

As for assists, seeing the likes of Nicolas Pepe rediscover their scoring boots offers encouragement beyond Smith Rowe’s control that his numbers will rise, while as Bukayo Saka fine-tunes his own finishing ability there is even greater scope for assists.

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The same, of course, goes to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. A hugely disappointing season from the captain can’t be repeated. The majority of chances Arsenal create fall to Aubameyang and with the vision and drive Smith Rowe has, many of those will arrive from his feet. Greater output from the aforementioned trio – and potential others – will serve the Hale Ender well.

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