‘Gets the nod’: David Seaman says Arsenal have a 22-year-old who is even better than Reiss Nelson right now
David Seaman has been comparing Arsenal academy graduates Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe.
Nelson burst back onto the scene last Sunday when he replaced Bukayo Saka in the first half of the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
He scored twice and laid on an assist to grab the headlines and potentially resurrect his Gunners career, stating he wants to sign a new deal.
For Smith Rowe, it has been a season that is yet to get going due to injuries, which have ended his hopes of being in the England squad for the World Cup.
Seaman on Smith Rowe and Nelson
Speaking on his Seaman Says podcast, the legendary goalkeeper said that Smith Rowe is still the better player than Nelson.
He said: “I don’t think Smith Rowe is that close yet to be honest, because I think he had an operation. He’ll be out for a bit longer than what we first thought.
“Sunday is a little bit too early because he’s not played, you’d have expected him to play in a European game or something like that before going into that.
“So he’s out of the picture for a little bit longer but if they’re both fit Smith Rowe gets the nod.”
Nelson was handed a start against FC Zurich last night but did not get on the scoresheet in the 1-0 victory, with Kieran Tierney getting the winner.
It remains to be seen if he will get the nod at Chelsea over the weekend, in what is another huge game for Arsenal.
Smith Rowe just has to get himself fit enough to help in the second half of the season, when the 22-year-old can be a real help in terms of quality and depth in Arsenal’s midfield.
