Mikel Arteta and Albert Stuivenberg during Arsenal vs Monaco (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
There’s a lot of excitement at Arsenal about Myles Lewis-Skelly.
I think the rise of Ethan Nwaneri has taken some of the spotlight off Lewis-Skelly a bit and that has allowed him to go under the radar, which could be a good thing for a young player.
But when you look at it, it’s Lewis-Skelly who has now been given starts in the Champions League and Premier League, not Nwaneri.
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That says a lot about how Arsenal and Mikel Arteta view him. It’s not just his ability that has got him where he is, but it’s his brain as well. He’s seen as someone who can take everything on board and can play with a maturity well beyond his years.
That is something that has impressed the staff at Arsenal. They appreciate how calm he is and how clearly he thinks things through. I think you can see that by the way he plays as well.
Myles Lewis-Skelly impressing in new position for Arsenal
Myles Lewis-Skelly arriving ahead of a game for Arsenal
Myles Lewis-Skelly arriving ahead of a game for Arsenal (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Obviously Arteta has seen something in him that makes him see him as an inverted left-back in the system he plays. It’s still something relatively new for Lewis-Skelly, who has come through the academy as a midfielder.
But the way he has taken to it shows how good a player he is and I think that’s certainly the position we are going to continue seeing him operate in over the next couple of seasons.
For more, here’s my full column on the Daily Briefing!