Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe says that he has got his confidence back and is ready to “just go for it” at the North London club after a tough time with injuries.
The 23-year-old started his first match for Arsenal in 499 days on Wednesday night as Mikel Arteta’s side beat Brentford 1-0 in the Carabao Cup.
The game was the Englishman’s 100th appearance for Arsenal but it was a long time coming due to injuries the player has suffered over the last year.
The Arsenal star underwent surgery to overcome a long-standing groin problem last September but suffered a setback on his return four months later before making eight appearances off the bench at the back end of last season.
The 2021/22 season was a big year for Smith Rowe and having regained his confidence back, the Gunners midfielder is now ready to reproduce the form he showed throughout that campaign.
Speaking after the Brentford match, Smith Rowe stated that he is just going to go for everything now having had a change in mentality.
The 23-year-old said via the Daily Mail: “I have changed a bit of my mentality … just to go for it. I have not really got anything to lose. I have tried to change that inside me.
“I used to have a lot of doubts. I used to question my confidence, at times. But now I am really strong. I am feeling really fit and I am taking that into now.
“The gaffer has really helped me with that. He was helping me through my injury and often pulled me for chats about how I can be mentally stronger.
“I tried to support the boys as much as I could when I couldn’t help them on the pitch. It was really tough but I am stronger now.”
Smith Row did NOT impress against brentford. He played it safe with short sideways and backward passes. Their was no excitement about his play and no positive runs or passes. He just made up the numbers on the pitch without really contributing. Maybe this was nerves, in that he did not want to be the player that lost the ball. He is nowhere near his confident best, despite his BS statement saying otherwise. Very disapointed in his safe negative passing and lack of forward runs against Brentford. Needs to improve a lot if he is fortunate to be given another chance.
Very true, nothing was impressive, he was not running, and was always hiding and not making himself an option for Jorgino to pass, didn’t really come deep to get the ball and progress it like Odegaard and Trossard does when the play the either side as 8. Nothing was really impressive. Veira is still miles ahead in terms of creativity