Arsenal defeated Leyton Orient 2-0 in a friendly played behind closed doors. Smith Rowe scored, and Gabriel Jesus also scored. Smith Rowe’s performance raises questions about whether he will stay with the team beyond the summer transfer window. Arsenal’s preseason tour in the USA begins next weekend against Bournemouth, and then they play Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool. It is unclear how much Smith Rowe will play. Fulham and Crystal Palace have expressed interest in Smith Rowe, but sources say Arsenal has rejected their bids, believing Smith Rowe is worth £35 million.
Only three league starts were made by Smith Rowe the previous season; Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz were the starting lineup favorites. Smith Rowe made an impact at halftime despite not having started the friendly against Leyton Orient. Donning the captain’s armband, he took advantage of some excellent play from Jesus, who had connected with Eddie Nketiah, another player who was rumored to be leaving, to score Arsenal’s first goal.
Ben White, the recently recovered Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, captain Odegaard, Fabio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson were among the other first-team players who participated in the game.
Smith Rowe is currently anticipated to travel to California with the Arsenal team on Sunday. Although Smith Rowe wants to stay with the team, manager Mikel Arteta has continuously challenged the 23-year-old to improve in a competitive environment for spots.
Arteta was impressed with Smith Rowe’s performance, saying, “I was really impressed with him,” following his April start against Luton Town. Because of his excellent training, we thought the game would be a good fit for him. I adore him as a player because I enjoy seeing how he moves and changes course. Without the ball, he was aggressive today and eager to get things done. He made it hard to stop him and greatly contributed to our victory in the match.
