Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe has responded to Eddie Nketiah on social media.
Both Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah featured for Arsenal in the club’s 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Nketiah was named in the starting XI by Mikel Arteta and produced a hard-working display at the Vitality Stadium. Whilst he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, the 24-year-old striker played a key role in the first goal and won the penalty that led to the second.
Nketiah’s relentless pressing, pace, and ability to spin away from his markers with the ball at his feet made him a thorn in Bournemouth’s side all afternoon. After struggling against Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby last time out in the Premier League, the Hale end academy graduate answered some of his critics with this performance.
The former England under-21 international took to Instagram after the match to celebrate the victory. The Arsenal forward wrote, “Big away win, let’s keep pushing!”
His teammate, and fellow Arsenal academy graduate, Smith Rowe commented on the post with a simple one-word response: “playaaa”.
Smith Rowe fighting for Arsenal future
Smith Rowe only came on for the final ten minutes against Bournemouth, but showed some flashes of quality in that time. The 23-year-old should have gotten on the scoresheet, but Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto was able to tip his low shot around the post from close range.
It was good to see Smith Rowe get some more Premier League minutes. He faces a tough task in breaking back into the Arsenal starting XI on a regular basis, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Fabio Vieira, and Kai Havertz currently ahead of him in the pecking order. However, if he can get back to his best, then the three-cap England international can still be a huge asset for Arteta this season.
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