Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Robert Pires shares Smith Rowe and Saka prediction he made
Robert Pires that he was always confident that Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe would do well with Arsenal, lauding the way that the pair take risks.
It has been a remarkable year for Smith Rowe. It is easy to forget that he was barely featuring for Mikel Arteta’s side heading into last December.
But he took his eventual opportunity with both hands. And he now appears to be one of the first names on the team sheet at the Emirates.
Another name who did more than most to lead the Gunners out of a difficult period was Saka. In fact, there had been plenty of time when the 20-year-old had been the one shining light for Arsenal.
Pires worked alongside both men when he returned to Arsenal to train with the club a few years ago. And he claimed that that experience left him in no doubt that Saka and Smith Rowe were destined for the first-team.
“Because they take risks,” , when asked why he is a fan of the pair. “Because they’re not afraid of responsibilities. And because they dare. That’s what football is. Especially when you play in their positions.
“I know them because when I was last at Arsenal, I trained with them. I knew that they’d do well. People will think, ‘Oh, it’s easy to say that now.’ But I saw them coming, I saw them starting with the first team, I was there with them. That’s why I like them. And they have very good mentalities.”
Smith Rowe and Saka already on way to becoming two most important Arsenal players
Not only have the emergences of Saka and Smith Rowe given Arsenal supporters something to smile about in difficult periods, but they have also continued to deliver on the pitch now that the club are moving forward.
Smith Rowe is the Gunners’ joint top goalscorer in the Premier League. Saka meanwhile, set them on their way to a 2-0 win over Newcastle at the weekend with the opening goal.
But the pair also top Arsenal’s assist charts in the top flight.
Interestingly, Rio Ferdinand recently compared Smith Rowe with Pires. Perhaps that helps explain why the Frenchman was always so confident that these two particular players were heading nowhere other than the first-team.