Has Myles Lewis-Skelly now cemented his place in the Arsenal starting XI?

Just Arsenal News

·22 de dezembro de 2024

Has Myles Lewis-Skelly now cemented his place in the Arsenal starting XI?

Who’d have thought Myles Lewis-Skelly would be the next Hale End star to step into this Arsenal team?

The hype was always on Ethan Nwaneri, the young Gunner expected to force his way into the Arsenal lineup.

Vídeos OneFootball

Towards the end of last season, during pre-season in the summer, and at the start of this season, many were convinced this was the season Nwaneri would be unleashed.

Well, at the moment, it looks like Myles Lewis-Skelly, not Nwaneri, is taking center stage this season.

The young midfielder has taken advantage of coach Mikel Arteta’s left-backs struggling with injuries. His performances at left-back have made it impossible not to play him.

Against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening, Arteta could have opted to start Kieran Tierney, Jakub Kiwior, or Riccardo Calafiori. However, he chose the Hale End star because he trusts the teenager can do the job.

In that 5-1 win over Palace, the 18-year-old was absolutely brilliant. He was defensively solid, calm, and composed on the ball, especially under pressure. Physically strong, with unreal vision in his passes, he breaks the lines well and plays beyond his age.

Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Nathaniel Clyne of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on December 21, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Myles Lewis-Skelly’s game by numbers vs. Crystal Palace:

– 18/19 passes completed

– 5/7 duels won

– 2 tackles

– 2 fouls won

– 2 final third entries

– 1/1 take-on completed

The boy is in a class of his own. One could argue, unless you’re world-class, you can’t be this good at 18 in only your second first-team start.

Watching Lewis-Skelly play is a pleasure. In his play, you see Saliba’s composure, White’s ball-carrying, Partey’s progression, and Saka’s strength all in one.

Left-backs Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko should be worried in the second half of the season. They may lose their spot in the team to Lewis-Skelly if they don’t up their game.

Sam P

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