Destiny calling (Credit Arsenal.com
Arsenal’s Hale End academy has emerged as a consistent provider of readymade talents, with various homegrown prospects emerging from the youth teams and making a name for themselves at the Emirates Sadium. But for every player like Bukayo Saka or Jack Wilshere who’s managed to lock down a starting spot, there are at least four players who’ve been forced to leave North London for the sake of their own development.
From Reiss Nelson to Eddie Nketiah, from Mika Biereth to João Virgínia, from Emile Smith Rowe to Folarin Balogun, we’ve seen quite a few Arsenal youth products head elsewhere after failing to lock down a first-team spot. However, Arsenal currently have two players who look set to play a pivotal roles for the first team not just in the long-term, but in the short term as well.
He only just turned 18, but Ethan Nwaneri has already asserted himself as an increasingly important figure in attack for Mikel Arteta’s side with 8 goals and 2 assists in 32 appearances. He has even been entrusted with starting opportunities, although those chances have dried up since the return of Saka from injury. Nevertheless, one player who has quickly solidified a starting spot is Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Born in Denmark Hill, Lewis-Skelly joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of eight and quickly rose up the ranks, helping the Gunners reach the 2022/23 FA Youth Cup Final. His stellar displays at the youth level earned him his first professional contract, and one year later, he would make his debut in a 2-2 draw at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City on September 22, 2024.
No longer a bit part (Credit Arsenal.com)
Bit by bit, Lewis-Skelly has gone from a sporadic figure on the fringes of the first-team to a regular contributor, capable of filling into a number of different positions. Despite facing competition from far more experienced figures like Riccardo Calafiori, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko, he’s often been given the chance to start at left back, but he’s also been able to excel in his more natural midfield positions.
Skilled at picking up the ball in deeper areas and driving forward, Lewis-Skelly’s engine and overall fearlessness under pressure have been a breath of a fresh air for an Arsenal side that has often looked stale this season. Similarly to Miguel Ángel Benítez, he has the nimble footwork and low centre of gravity to enable him to work his way out of tight situations, bring the ball into advanced areas, and force the opponent into fouling him in order to stop his momentum.
At 18 years of age, Lewis-Skelly exudes a confidence and composure on and off the ball that enables him to weave together passing moves and retain the ball under pressure, constantly making the right decision in possession and breaking the lines with his incisive through balls. Whether as a box-to-box central midfielder or as an inverted left back, he has proven that he isn’t content with merely being a passenger — he will demand the ball and advance it to a teammate without coughing it up in a dangerous area.
MLS more akin to Zinchenko (credit arsenal.com)
Lewis-Skelly isn’t a prototypical fullback who will bomb forward, overlap his winger, and chip in a cross — instead, he’s far more similar to Zinchenko or João Cancelo in preferring to take up central positions. However, his defensive fortitude belies his age, with the teenager capable of holding his own in ground duels and timing his interventions to perfection.
Above all, Lewis-Skelly has shown that he isn’t fazed by the biggest occasions. He scored in a 5-1 win against Manchester City in February, and the following month, he opened the scoring within 20 minutes into his England debut and was awarded the Man of the Match award after a superb display at left back in their 2-0 win against Albania. In doing so, he surpassed Marcus Rashford as the youngest player to score on his Three Lions debut.
Lewis-Skelly’s biggest test came last Tuesday against reigning UEFA Champions League and LaLiga winners Real Madrid. Starting on the left side of defense, Lewis-Skelly won four out of seven ground duels, completed 54 out of 57 passes (including two key passes), blocked one shot and made two tackles and a clearance. He won one foul and completed his one dribble attempt and made 74 touches, and to put the cherry on top, he assisted Mikel Merino’s final goal to secure a 3-0 victory in North London.
Arsenal face a tough task tonight as they get ready to face Real Madrid in the second leg in the Santiago Bernabéu. It remains to be seen whether or not Arsenal can make it to the Champions League semifinals for the first time in 16 years, but one thing’s for sure: if they are to reach the final four, they’ll need Lewis-Skelly to be at his brilliant best.
Chief editor of Breaking The Lines, and writer for Coaches’ Voice, PSG Talk, BetUSTV, FotMob and many more….
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