BAGS OF CLASS
Teenager Smith Rowe on target as Gunners stroll to victory
UNAI EMERY said Emile Smith Rowe has the quality and mentality to reach the top after playing an important part in Arsenal’s win last night.
The England Under-17 World Cup winner scored the Gunners’ second goal against Qarabag and created such a positive noise it was being felt round social media in the UK 2,500 miles away.
“I prefer not to speak about him as it is better for him to keep his feet on the ground,” said Arsenal boss Emery (right).
“But he has the physical quality and mentality. Also quality with the right foot. If I have to pick out one thing it is his mentality, as he is humble and he listens every day in training, in the video analysis and matches. He just needs to take that one step extra more, like today.
“And as I said when he left the pitch today – he had two actions inside the box and scored one. With more ambition he can go inside the box and score more.”
It took Arsenal just four minutes to shake off any jet lag from their mammoth journey to Azerbaijan.
Mohamed Elneny’s corner picked out Nacho Monreal and his header was so well directed that the ball flew into the net off Sokratis’ shins without the Gunners player seeming to know very much about it.
Not long afterwards, Smith Rowe could not quite convert a cross from Sead Kolasinac, back in the side after a knee injury, but increasingly it seemed that Arsenal would need a second to settle a few nerves.
In the 27th minute, Mahir Madatov cut inside Monreal and Bernd Leno had to get his glove down quickly to stop the low drive from arrowing inside his near post.
Just before the break, the Germany keeper was tested again, somehow blocking Filip Ozobic’s shot from 14 yards. Qarabag did get the ball in the back of the net just four minutes after the interval through Madatov.
But the assistant referee spared the Arsenal defence’s blushes for disintegrating so badly with a tight offside call. The Gunners needed someone to seize the moment and Smith Rowe decided he was the man – albeit by a matter of months – for the job. Alex Iwobi slid in a pass and the 18-year-old midfielder shot between the keeper’s legs on 53 minutes.
Arsenal were not out of the woods completely – Leno again coming to the rescue 11 minutes later when Innocent Emeghara threatened to bundle the ball in from a corner.
Smith Rowe went off to a roar from the small pocket of travelling Gunners fans.
And then another teen star, Matteo Guendouzi, completed the scoring for the Londoners in the 79th minute with a low drive from the edge of the box. Arsenal Sporting Vorskla Qarabag