Myles Lewis-Skelly says this season has been about keeping his head down, blocking out the noise and staying patient as he worked his way back into Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up.
After bursting onto the scene last year as an adventurous left-back and earning a senior England call-up in the process, there was an expectation the Hale End graduate would kick on again this season. Instead, his momentum stalled.
Up until last month’s defeat to Bournemouth, the 19-year-old had not completed 90 minutes in a Premier League match all campaign. Between the turn of the year and the 2-1 loss to Bournemouth at the Emirates, he played just 33 league minutes in total.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Arteta handed him a start in central midfield against Fulham. Lewis-Skelly impressed so much that the manager kept faith with him for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, one of the biggest games Arsenal have played in years.
The teenager looked entirely unfazed by the occasion, producing another composed display before retaining his place again at West Ham, albeit shifting back to left-back in the second half after Riccardo Calafiori’s injury.
In the space of little more than a week, Lewis-Skelly has gone from the fringes of the squad to an important part of Arsenal’s push for the Premier League and Champions League. Little surprise, then, that he is enjoying life back in his natural position.
“It feels so natural for me to be there [in midfield],” Lewis-Skelly told The Guardian.
“I have been training there a lot so [against Fulham] I felt comfortable. The boss told me: ‘You are going to play midfield, so go for it.’ That is what I did. I had to be bold and play with courage because that is what this league demands.”
As for how he handled the more difficult periods earlier in the season, he added: “It was tough for me initially, but I pride myself on having mental strength.
“Sport is not one pathway because there are ups and downs. It’s how you bounce back from that, how you are in those moments when you face adversity. That is what defines you.
“I spoke with my family and friends. I just told them: ‘I don’t want to hear all the noise that is coming from social media. Let me stay in this moment, let me continue to face this adversity and let me come out the other side of it.’
“It is always being prepared, always feeling like I prepare as a starter because you never know when your time will come. Luckily enough, it came against Fulham. I took my opportunity and helped the team out as much as I can.”
With Martin Zubimendi struggling for form towards the end of an exhausting debut season in England, there is every chance Lewis-Skelly keeps his place for the run-in.
If he continues on this trajectory, he could yet play a major role in Arsenal’s pursuit of silverware and force his way back into England’s World Cup thinking at the perfect moment.
Whether that happens or not, the noise around his future is unlikely to disappear completely. Arsenal are expected to balance the books this summer through player sales and, as a homegrown academy graduate, Lewis-Skelly would represent pure profit under PSR calculations.
For now, though, he appears focused on only one thing.
“I am focused on the games we have got coming up, and bringing this club back to glory.”
You can’t argue with that.