Arsenal's Unai Emery Praises Emile Smith Rowe's Mentality After Qarabag Goal

Unai Emery has hailed Emile Smith Rowe for his humility and impressive mentality after he scored his first competitive goal for Arsenal on Thursday as they beat Qarabag 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League.

The 18-year-old was making his third appearance for the club and scored in between strikes from Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi, who also got off the mark for the Gunners with their first goals since arriving in the summer.

After being asked what stood out from Smith Rowe's performance, Emery said, per the Mirror's Mark Jones:

"The quality he has physically and mentally. He also has quality in his right foot, with working in attacking moments with any player.

"If I say one condition [which has impressed me most], I say his mentality. He is humble, he listens every day in training, in video analysis and before every match."

Smith Rowe came close to scoring in the first half, but he didn't manage to convert at the back post when stretching to meet Sead Kolasinac's ball across goal.

He made amends shortly after half-time, however, when he supplied a cool finish after being slipped through by Alex Iwobi.

ESPN FC's Mattias Karen was impressed:

His goal also marked a milestone for the Gunners:

Emery is introducing him sparingly, with his first-team opportunities so far restricted to the Europa League and the Carabao Cup, but it's clear he'll have a role to play this season as he gains more experience.

He has been used on the left, the right and in the centre this season, so the manager is perhaps unsure of the youngster's best position yet.

That may be firmed up in time, or perhaps he'll remain a versatile asset for Arsenal to call upon in a variety of roles.

It's encouraging that he appears to have the right kind of attitude, and that should help him succeed at Arsenal as he continues to develop his game.