On Monday night Arsenal are fighting for a place in the final of the FA Youth Cup, facing Blackpool in the second-leg of their semi-final at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have put together an impressive run so far. The highlight was probably beating Liverpool at Anfield, but hopefully the team can make more memories with a couple more wins to pick up the trophy now.
The match is being streamed live on Arsenal.com from 19:00, but if you haven’t been following the run so far, here’s the lowdown on some of the stars of the campaign, who could be making the step up to the next level at the club very soon:
1Emile Smith Rowe
- Age: 17
- Position: Left Midfield/Left Wing/Central Midfield
Smith Rowe is one of the most promising players in the u18s at the moment, so much so that he’s actually made just as many appearances for the u23s this season, despite his age.
The Croydon-born youngster joined the Hale End Academy in 2010, aged nine.
He has an eye for goal, but is also a good creator and a tricky dribbler. At the moment Reiss Nelson, a year older, is ahead of him in terms of first-team opportunities.
If Smith Rowe keeps up his performances though, it won’t be long until he gets a chance.
The winger got a taste of success with the England u17s in 2017, winning the World Cup in October. He appeared three times in the competition, scoring once and providing an assist in the semi-final.
2017/18 stats
- Premier League 2 (u23s): 8 appearances, 1 goal, 2 assists.
- U18 Premier League: 5 appearances, 3 goals.
- FA Youth Cup: 4 appearances, 3 goals, 2 assists.
- Overall: 17 appearances, 7 goals, 4 assists.