Myles Lewis-Skelly has received praise from TV pundits Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher following his impressive display in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Myles Lewis-Skelly made his first appearance in a European quarter-final on Tuesday night, featuring in the starting lineup for Arsenal against Real Madrid.
Given the quality on show with the visitors, it would have been understandable for the 18-year-old to struggle. But he did the opposite, helping Arsenal to a clean sheet and assisting his team’s third goal of the 3-0 win.
Squawka highlight that Lewis-Skelly completed 54 out of 57 attempted passes, making two tackles and creating two chances. The likes of Rodrygo couldn’t complete a single dribble past the left-back.
“That’s one of the best performances I’ve seen from a full-back at his age,” Micah Richards said afterwards, and fellow pundit Jamie Carragher agreed.
“The easiest position to come through is probably full-back…you don’t have to be spectacular,” Carragher began. “But he’s spectacular at left-back, and he looks like almost one of the best players in the Arsenal team.
“He’s going into central midfield, he’s receiving the ball on the half-turn, he’s got Mbappe and Vini Jr. either side of him. He’s taking responsibility.
“When we were young players, you’d come in and you’d want to get your first pass off…you’d almost want to build into a game to build your confidence. [But] he’s got that thing as if he’s playing like he’s 26. He is very, very special.”
There’s been some unfair talk about Lewis-Skelly’s footballing personality in the wake of his Premier League red cards, despite the fact one of the two was correctly rescinded. But Tuesday’s game was yet another reminder of the strengths of his own belief in his ability.
Whether he remains at left-back or ends up in midfield, Arsenal will want to keep the teenager around for many years to come.