I’ve been watching clips of De Bruyne and Mount… they can help me get to the World Cup, says Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe

EMILE SMITH ROWE has been watching videos of his rivals to improve over pre-season.

And he is hoping by implementing what he learns, the Arsenal star will be on the plane to Qatar in November.

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Smith Rowe, 21, said: “I need to keep improving my stats because I didn’t really get many assists last season.

“I’ve been watching clips of my game, noting the timing of my passes and where I should have played it to create more chances.

“And I’ve been watching footage of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount to see what those creative players are doing.

“The World Cup is definitely a target but first of all I want to get as fit as I can to get as many minutes as possible to show what I can do.”

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Smith Rowe - nicknamed the "Croydon De Bruyne" - managed ten goals and two assists in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign.

The original De Bruyne racked up 15 goals while Mount's tally of ten assists was bettered only by Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

And Smith Rowe knows he is in direct competition with Mount for a seat on the plane - and a spot in Gareth Southgate's starting XI for England.

But he has hit a slight bump in getting ready for the new season.

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A thigh injury looks set to rule him out of this week's friendlies against Orlando City and Mount's Chelsea in the United States.

Overall, though, ESR is rightfully keeping positive.

He added: "I’m proud of last season because I signed my new contract and made my debut for England.

"But I’ve also been unfortunate with injuries.

“I’m strong mentally, so they don’t get to  me.   It’s   just annoying.”

Smith Rowe vs Creative Midfielders

Emile Smith Rowe - 1920 mins, 10 goals, 2 assists

Kevin De Bruyne - 2205 mins, 15 goals, 8 assists

Bruno Fernandes - 3118 mins, 10 goals, 6 assists

Bernardo Silva - 2859 mins, 8 goals, 4 assists

Mason Mount - 2364 mins, 11 goals, 10 assists

* Premier League 2021-22 stats