Emile Smith Rowe v James Maddison - a comparison of two No.10s
Emile Smith Rowe v James Maddison - comparing the two No.10s
It could be argued Arsenal’s
best piece of business so far this summer is not a new signing.
Rather, the new contract
securing the future of prodigious talent Emile Smith Rowe may, with time, look
like a very shrewd move from club management.
The 21-year-old was one of the
Gunners’ few consistently impressive performers in a disappointing 2020-21
season, and thoroughly deserved a new contract.
Mikel Arteta has now handed him
the number 10 shirt, a sign of how highly the manager values Smith Rowe.
But Arsenal are also still
strongly linked with another English old fashioned ‘number 10’ – James
Maddison.
The Leicester City playmaker
could still arrive at the Emirates before the transfer window slams shut in a
few weeks.
So how do the two players
compare and, crucially, would they be able to play together?
Goals and assists
Since breaking into the Premier
League back in 2018, playing a part in goals has been a major asset in
Maddison’s game.
Known for having the ability to
score from distance, and to thread a defence-splitting pass, he would instantly
add to Arsenal’s goal threat, particularly outside the box.
He has hit 21 goals in 98
Premier League appearances over the course of his career, not a bad return for
an attacking midfielder.
He also has 17 assists during
that time (7,582 minutes in total) meaning he has been involved in a goal, on
average, every 199 minutes.
Smith Rowe has also shown he can
be a threat to the opposition, albeit over a much smaller timeframe than
Maddison.
In his 22 Premier League games
to date, the youngster has scored twice and assisted on four occasions.
In 1,546 minutes played, this
means Smith Rowe has been involved in a goal, on average, every 257 minutes.
He does play slightly deeper
than more traditional advanced playmakers, such as Maddison, and perhaps this
is why over the course of his Arsenal career, he won’t simply be judged on goal
return.
Long-term future
It may seem a big responsibility
to hand Smith Rowe the number 10 shirt, considering he hasn’t really had a full
season of Premier League football under his belt.
But when he did break through
last season, the England under-21 international showed he was good enough to
push for a starting place.
The new contract again shows his
long-term future at the club seems relatively secure.
Maddison, by contrast, is at a
crossroads in his career. He is still relatively young, just 24, but knows the
next move in his career will define his peak years.
He has also seen inconsistency
creep into his game in the last season. When he was good, he was still one of
Leicester’s key men.
But throughout the season, he
was a little more hit-and-miss than in previous campaigns. Perhaps this is why
Arsenal may be reluctant to part with a huge transfer fee.
If signed, Maddison will also
probably cost the club more in wages over the next three to four years, than
Smith Rowe would.
Realistically, ESR has more in
his game to develop, whereas Maddison is probably already playing close to his
peak.
When looking at the long-term development of both, Smith Rowe may be the better bet for Arsenal’s midfield.
Verdict - Can they play together?
Comparisons between both are inevitable if
Maddison signs. But attention will quickly shift to whether they can both play
in the same XI.
Now Smith Rowe has had a proper taste of
first team football, he won’t be satisfied with the bench when the new campaign
begins.
Equally, if big money is spent on Maddison,
no one will be expecting him to be playing a substitute role.
The small differences in style may allow
Arteta to field both in the same team. As stated, Smith Rowe often takes up
deeper positions than you would expect of a number 10.
He is also equally comfortable drifting in
from wider areas, although we haven’t seen much from him in terms of dribbling
past opponents yet.
If he brought this more into his game, Smith
Rowe could be comfortably utilised in an inverted winger role, in a similar
fashion to how Jack Grealish has been deployed in recent times.
Maddison is more of an old-school playmaker.
Playing closer to the striker and waiting for shooting opportunities around the
penalty area.
There is no reason why the manager could not
play them together and it could be the making of both.
Since Mesut Ozil fell out of favour, Arsenal
have struggled for options in the attacking midfield roles.
Having two young English playmakers
desperate to prove their worth would be a huge boost to the squad.
Photo credit: Getty Images
