Hoddle convinced Arsenal boss Arteta prefers Smith Rowe over Pepe because...

Football
21 Feb 2021 • 4:43 PM MYT
Tribal Football
Tribal Football

Tribal Football covers news from the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A

Tottenham great Glenn Hoddle says Arsenal attacker Nicolas Pepe needs to work harder off the ball.

Hoddle believes Arteta prefers the work rate of Emile Smith Rowe on the wing to Pepe's.

"That's the thing in the modern game, if you're playing with three up top and the two outside players, they've got to track back," Hoddle said on BT Sport.

"There's no two ways about it because full-backs now are pushing forward so high, they have to track back.

"So that's the reason why Smith Rowe is actually ahead and is in the team, a little bit like [Steven] Bergwijn at Tottenham who actually plays sometimes in the big games, because maybe other players at the moment are not ready to track back.

"So it's those positions, you've got to work back."