Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday evening, and can now turn their full attention towards reaching the Champions League final this week.
Goals from Viktor Gyokeres (2) and Bukayo Saka in the first half were enough to claim all three points against an underwhelming Marco Silva side, despite Mikel Arteta using his large squad to his advantage and making five changes from the midweek display in Madrid.
But now, the Spaniard may have caused himself a headache ahead of the return leg in north London on Tuesday night, with one Arsenal star's performance standing out among his peers, and surely earning him a starting role in the next game.
Lewis-Skelly Shines vs Fulham in Midfield Role
myles lewis-skelly
All season Arsenal fans have lamented the lack of minutes for Myles Lewis-Skelly on the pitch, but especially in midfield, with summer signing Martin Zubimendi looking exhausted at points due to a lack of rotation from the manager.
But fans finally got their wish at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as the England international got the nod in midfield alongside Declan Rice and turned in a magnificent performance to help the team to victory.
According to Sofascore, Lewis-Skelly completed 64 of his 66 passes (97%), won six of his nine ground duels, was fouled four times, and won 50% of his aerial duels, while he also wasn't dribbled past once, made six recoveries of possession, and made one key pass during the game.
It was a top all-round performance and proved many fans and pundits right for calling for him to get more minutes in his preferred role, despite making his name as a left-back last season. But while his performance was a huge plus, it now causes a problem ahead of midweek, as he clearly deserves to keep his place in the side.
Lewis-Skelly Must Start Ahead of Zubimendi
Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi looks angry
Zubimendi has been a tremendous signing for the Gunners, having joined the club in a £56m deal, on a contract worth a reported £150,000-a-week. But Arteta's use of him means that at the pivotal point of the campaign he is absolutely knackered, and his performance levels have dropped in recent weeks.
Being rested against Fulham was a good start to getting him back to fitness, but dropping Lewis-Skelly after that performance would be unbelievably harsh - especially in a game where Arsenal need to win and be more effective going forward.
Lewis-Skelly's passing through the lines makes Arsenal more of a threat, while he is also a better dribbler than the Spaniard. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in heart and determination, and Arteta should make the big call to play him in what is arguably the biggest game of the season so far.
He shone at the Bernabeu last season, and he rarely lets Arsenal or Arteta down. Now it's time to reward him with a start, and it means Zubimendi must find himself on the bench.
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