Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe has scored again for England's Under-21 side, netting against Israel.
The Three Lions are currently competing in the Under-21 European Championship, with Smith Rowe netting a late goal against the Czech Republic on Thursday after coming off the substitutes bench. On Sunday evening, he was named in the starting XI for the match against Israel, scoring a hugely impressive goal in the 68th minute.
The Hale End academy graduate combined excellently with Angel Gomes before firing in a powerful strike from the edge of the box. Despite starting on the left flank in a 4-4-2 setup, the 22-year-old's best moments in the match come in central areas.
For the last couple of years, there has been considerable debate about what exactly Smith Rowe's best position is, frequently playing as a left-winger, a number eight or as a No.10 for Arsenal. The talented playmaker endured a difficult 2022/23 campaign for the Gunners.
During the first part of the season, he underwent surgery on a nagging groin issue which sidelined him for the best part of three months. Upon his return to fitness, he then strained his thigh.
Even when fit and available, Smith Rowe struggled to get into Mikel Arteta's team, often just used as a substitute in the final minutes of games. When asked about the versatile star's lack of game time back in March, Arteta replied: "He knows how much we love him, and we know how much we missed him and how much we need his qualities.
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"And now he needs to prove it, he needs to prove how much he wants to win, and how much he's going to contribute to this team to be better and win. And he's going to have to show that to get in the team.
"I think we have to manage his load, but for sure he's in a position where we can throw him in the team at any moment. And then it's about how he's coping with the team in general and whether we have to take him off or to use him in the last few minutes of the game."
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