'Very gifted' Smith Rowe likened to Arsenal legend as Dele and Maddison struggle

The Gunners academy graduate played a starring role in the north London derby victory against Tottenham Hotspur with a goal and an assist on Sunday.

Gareth Southgate admitted the 21-year-old only just missed out on a call up to his senior England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary.

Wearing the iconic No.10 shirt and being deployed in an attacking midfield role, the 'Croydon De Bruyne' has played consistently well in his quest to nail down a spot in the next Three Lions squad.

Conversely, former England stalwarts Dele and Maddison have struggled at their respective clubs at the start of the season, looking decidedly off the pace.

And Tony Cascarino insists these are the pitfalls of playing in such a high-profile position means inconsistency cannot be tolerated.

"If Dele Alli is not quite on his game, you can look nowhere near the player you can be," Cascarino said on the Weekend Sports Breakfast.

"I watched the north London derby last week and I felt for Dele Alli as in, you're not even on the fringe of the game.

"You can't get hold of it, you can't get into it, you can't make anything happen and so much is expected of you.

"James Maddison is exactly the same this year at Leicester, just not quite going and not quite happened for him."

The emergence of Smith Rowe has eased the pressure on Mikel Arteta in the Arsenal technical area after an insipid start to the season.

With his socks rolled down, his confidence levels high and the eye for a killer pass, Cascarino has noticed similarities between the youngster and legend Liam Brady.

And just like the FA Cup winner, Smith Rowe has been tipped to flourish in north London.

"I watched him last year a number of times," Cascarino added. "He scored a couple of Premier League goals, he scored a goal in the Europa League and a goal in the FA Cup.

"I remember coming away watching him and he reminded me of a smaller Liam Brady, the way he glided across the pitch without really much effort.

"His weight of pass is just exceptional, he just sees the pass and he puts it on a plate, but with the weight of the pass.

"It's not over hit, not with too much force or undercooked in the pass - he does that brilliantly."

"There's much more to come from Emile Smith Rowe," Cascarino continued. "Without a doubt.

"I think the Arsenal system is going to suit him with Sith Rowe, Saka the other side, Odegaard as the holding player and then centre forward is probably Aubameyang.

"When he is given a bit of freedom to float, I think he is a really, really terrific player with great vision.,

"Very gifted."