Emile Smith Rowe names Arsenal ace and Aston Villa star as the Premier League's two most skilful players
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Arsenal and Aston Villa both have high hopes for the season after finishing in the Premier League’s top four last term and qualifying for the Champions League.
Arsenal are still in the picture for all four domestic trophies, while Aston Villa will fancy their chances of reaching the Champions League knockouts and finishing top-four again.
The Gunners and the Villans boast plenty of great players, and Fulham’sEmile Smith Rowe has named one from each club as the two most skilful stars in the Premier League.
Emile Smith Rowe names Gabriel Martinelli and Morgan Rogers as the Premier League’s most skilful players
Smith Rowe, formerly of Arsenal and now playing for Fulham, was interviewed by Sky Sports this week as he took part in Word Association.
And when asked by Sam Obaseki who he thought was the most skilful player in the Premier League, he went for Gabriel Martinelli and Morgan Rogers.
Smith Rowe wrote both names down on the board when asked the question and said: “So I’ve put Gabby Martinelli from Arsenal and Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.”
Obaseki then asked Smith Rowe whether modern-day football has become so tactical that players aren’t utilising their skills as much.
The Fulham ace replied: “I think it’s just natural, I feel like some players just kind of have it in them but obviously there’s different types of skills.
“I’m not someone who’s going to do loads of step overs and try to nutmeg someone but, in terms of dribbling, weaving in in and out of players, that’s what I like to do.
“But yeah, I know what you mean, it has kind of died down a little bit because teams are very tactical now, and it’s be good to see more of it.”
What’s been said about Martinelli and Rogers skills
In 2021, Ben White was asked on Twitch who he thought was the most skilful player at Arsenal, and he replied: "I would probably go Gabriel. He's silky!"
Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard previously said of Martinelli, as per Planet Football: “He's such a big talent, you see him in training every day and you see it.
“He's a really talented player with a lot of qualities.”
And Robin van Persie previously said of Martinelli: “The moves he makes, the dummies he makes, he's always looking for space.”
Meanwhile, Rogers has been praised by Brian Barry-Murphy, Manchester City’s former Elite Development Squad coach.
He told Sky Sports earlier this year: “I always felt he was a little bit different to the players in the Man City system. He’s a maverick.
“He’s definitely different because he can get the ball and run really quickly, directly and carry the ball big distances.
“That is what set him aside from the rest of the players who had come through the Man City system from a very young age – who were a lot of technical players who could play in tight spaces and play combination passes.
“Morgan has the ability to receive, turn and run with the ball and really affect opponents. How he moves is really efficient and his size is under-estimated.”
