EMILE SMITH ROWE sent a timely message to Mikel Arteta that he could yet play a part in Arsenal’s title run-in.
The 22-year-old playmaker grabbed his first goal of an injury-ravaged campaign as he put Lee Carsley’s Under-21s on the road to a morale-boosting victory.
Smith Rowe, who was the Gunners’ second-top scorer last term, has struggled to shake off a nagging groin injury and has seen his game-time limited as Arteta’s side moved ahead of the Premier League pack.
But he showed that he had lost none of that killer instinct in front of goal by striking the first blow as the Under-21s continued their steady progress ahead of the Euros this summer.
France were the better side for long periods of this game but once the deadlock was broken, the hosts were rarely in any trouble.
And three late goals after a raft of second-half changes from substitutes Noni Madueke (right), Curtis Jones and Jacob Ramsey gave the scoreline a far healthier look than it had after a drab opening period in which England’s youngsters were second best.
This story is from the March 26, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
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This story is from the March 26, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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