Whilst his career has been somewhat stop-start, there has never been any doubt that Emile Smith-Rowe is a player with immense talent.
During his loan spells at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town and following his breakthrough into the Arsenal first team, he continually demonstrated an ability to impact games and has earned plenty of praise for his efforts.
However, with Arsenal’s squad well-saturated in his area of the field, it had also become apparent that he would need to move on from his boyhood club if he was to secure regular game time.
With that in mind, it came as little surprise when he bid farewell to the Emirates Stadium last summer and joined Fulham, who parted with a club-record £27m in return for his signature.
Many at Craven Cottage felt that he could be the player they had been looking for to spearhead their charge up the Premier League standings, and there have been plenty of signs as the campaign has gone on that he has the potential to live up to that billing.
However, he has also experienced several quieter spells in which he has struggled to have the same impact on proceedings, and that has led to some debate over whether he can be classified as a successful signing overall for the club.
It is that debate that this tactical analysis will attempt to reach a verdict on.
The scout report will examine different aspects of his play, both in and out of possession, and suggest ways that he can continue to improve as his career progresses.
The analysis will then use the points made to see whether he has justified the money spent to acquire him or if he has fallen short of expectations.
Emile Smith-Rowe In Possession
When watching Emile Smith-Rowe play, his ability with the ball at his feet has always been apparent.
It was this part of his game that Arsenal particularly liked about him and tried to encourage whenever he was on the field, and it is telling that Fulham, too, have looked to incorporate that part of his game into their own tactics.
As a result, it has been common to see him in situations such as this, with him inside the half-spaces and attempting to move the ball between different areas of the pitch.
In this case, he is positioned between the Leicester City lines and is attempting to help his team find a way through or around the home team.
