Emile Smith Rowe played the final 23 minutes as England under-21s secured a 1-0 win over Nuno Tavares’ Portugal in the quarter-finals of the European Under-21 Championship.
Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon scored the only goal of the game on 34 minutes to secure the Young Lions’ safe passage to the tournament’s final four for the first time since 2017.
England will face Israel in the semis, a team they beat 2-0 in the group stages. On the other side of the draw, Spain will face either France or Ukraine.
Tavares will now head off on holiday for a couple of weeks before returning to pre-season training in time for Arsenal’s tour of the USA.
It’s widely expected he’ll leave the club, either on loan or permanently, despite his agent suggesting the full-back is keen to stay at Emirates Stadium.
“Nuno is still under contract at Arsenal,” said a representative when quizzed on a link with Galatasaray.
“He wants to stay in the team but we’ll see what happens in the future.”
💥Galatasaray’ın gündeminde yer alan sol beklerden Nuno Tavares’in temsilcisiyle konuştum.
🗣️”Nuno’nun Arsenal’de kontratı devam ediyor. Takımda kalmak istiyor ama gelecekte ne olacağını göreceğiz.” ifadelerini kullandı.
Şu an ibre Angeliño’ya dönmüş durumda… @trtspor pic.twitter.com/YiOSlq8uKO
— Tibet Töre (@berktibettore) June 30, 2023
Smith Rowe’s involvement with England means he could miss the German leg of the Gunners’ summer preparations.
If England under-21s reach the final in Georgia and Romania, that will take place on 8 July.
Mikel Arteta takes his side to adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach for a training camp around the 10th July before the club face Nurnberg in the first of five pre-season friendlies.
Elsewhere, midfielder Miguel Azeez is being linked with a move to Barcelona B.
The 20-year-old has embarked on loan moves to Portsmouth, Ibiza and Wigan in the last couple of years but has struggled to make the kind of impact that suggests he has a future at Arsenal.
Talking of Wigan, they’ve snapped up Matt Smith, who was recently released by the Gunners.
Talking about his move, he said: “It’s a big opportunity for me to play for a club of this stature, and I’m buzzing to have got the deal done. I’m looking forward to the season and getting started.”
Your heading is missing an “AS”
Nah it should be Emile Smith Rowe (featuring England) defeats Tavares’ Portugal.
So you’re saying:
Smith Rowe feat. England defeat. Portugal
10 million for Nuno would be nice
Still think Nuno could be a great right winger. I know it will never happen but I’d love to see Arteta try him in pre-season for a half or two.
Probably a case for a left winger, but the way he runs, and passes, wouldn’t work on the right side of the pitch, where he would be dispossessed too easily.
Not all signings are going to make it. He was a punt. It hasn’t come off. We sell him, wish him good luck and we move on.
Whilst bellowing “DO YOU WANT TO PLAY IN THE CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE…?!!!!!!” from the bench every five minutes.
Sorry Nuno, you just couldn’t cut it.
As Claude would have said “IT’S TIME TO GO!!!!
Nice of the Smith to speed up Tavares’s transfer.
Good luck Matt Smith!
Leaving with more trophies than appearances! Noone has ever done this before for Arsenal!! Truly one of the greats
His games to trophies ratio may never be beaten
I think if Smith Rowe would be able to improve the defensive side of his game that would massively improve his chances to be in the starting 11.
Anyone else concerned that ESR isn’t even a starter in England u21? Looking at that team, he should be their best player! Yet he’s on the bench
He started before, it’s rotation. They’re playing every three days.
He has started one game out of 4 so Sam’s point is completely valid.
Worrying that he is not even a starter in the U-21 team. Smith has unique technical skill, but is not seen as aggressive or physical. Think he should toughen up a bit like Saka and Martinelli.
And in quarter final you always play your best team if available.
ESR should even be a starter in the senior team as the No 10.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing but in fairness they have a lot good midfielders,he defo should be starting every game though. Nuno is great going forward but not great defence, he seems the type of lad it will all come together when he matures but sadly it will be to late for us
@AAllenSport
Talking of Wigan, they’ve snapped up Matt Smith, who was recently released by the Gunners.
The link in the above quote leads to AMN’s leaving article.
I wonder if he’ll just go straight into preseason from the final
He may have to do that or cut holidays short if he wants to fight for a spot in the team. The competition is becoming fearce
Quite like the idea of keeping Nuno around as a bit of a wild card sub. Feel like he could fit the bill as one of Arteta’s ‘finishers’ especially with 5 subs available. But obviously he’s a mad player and difficult to fit into any system!
There are players who bring chaos around the opponent’s box, like Jesus does. Then there are those who do it in the midfield when we have possession like Nuno.
The risk-reward is not good enough for Arsenal.
You wouldn’t be bringing him on at that point, he would be reserved as a last resort Hail Mary chaos option. Can’t see it happening, but it would be fun.
Nuno Tavares is not a fullback. Arteta clearly didn’t trust him in that role to defend space and neither did his loan club. I saw him play for Marseilles. They used him to hold width high up on the left side in possession and as an outlet in transitions. He reminds me of Michael Antonio: a powerful runner with the ball with elite physical traits who unfortunately dribbles into blind alleys, plays without pausa and does not strike the ball with great accuracy, and is very one footed. So he’s a also not a forward or a winger either. What… Read more »
That’s a good shout lad,he’s a beast of an athlete just not great for possession based team. He should be worth at least 15 to 20 mil as a wing back (winger) but I doubt we will get near that figure.
I completely agree with those mentioning a lack of physicality in Smith Stowe’s game. It’s interesting because he and Havertz share many parallels, including that one. They are both positionally versatile or position-less depending on your perspective, both love to arrive late in the box to finish chances, and both seek space between the lines to receive the ball and wreak havoc. Havertz is the more complete player of the two due to his greater top flight experience, fitness record and height. But what the purchase of Havertz shows is that Arteta does value players with that kind of “raumdeuter”… Read more »