By Graham Ruthven
Myles Lewis-Skelly is Arsenal by way of and thru. He’s been on the North London membership because the age of eight. Interviewed by Ian Wright after final week’s derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, the 18-year-old was visibly starstruck by the Gunners legend. On his present trajectory, Lewis-Skelly is about for Arsenal stardom himself.
During the last two months, Lewis-Skelly has nailed down a beginning spot in Mikel Arteta’s group. He has began Arsenal’s final 4 matches in all competitions, catching the attention even because the Gunners have faltered within the Premier League title race. {The teenager} has given Arsenal a special dimension on the left facet of the defence.
That is all of the extra spectacular as a result of Lewis-Skelly technically isn’t even a left again. He performed extra steadily as a central midfielder in Arsenal’s youth ranks and has needed to adapt shortly to his new place within the first group. Lewis-Skelly’s midfield schooling, nonetheless, offers him an edge over different choices at left again.
Arteta affords Lewis-Skelly the liberty to push into the center of the pitch, giving Arsenal one other physique in central midfield in possession. This then permits Declan Rice to push additional ahead, getting the England worldwide nearer to Martin Ødegaard and his teammates within the attacking third. Lewis-Skelly makes Arsenal a extra proactive group as an entire.
“Adapting to the function is just not solely the defensive half,” stated Arteta when requested about Lewis-Skelly’s growth as a left-sided defender this season. “You’re dealing with wingers a number of time in that place and also you’re a part of the line of defense. All of the attacking course of on high of that. It’s quite a bit. He’s coping with it in a good way. Bodily, he has matured quite a bit up to now yr.”
Ethan Nwaneri has additionally made a primary group breakthrough this season, scoring 5 objectives in simply 18 appearances (solely 5 of them begins). The 17-year-old is at the moment sidelined by way of harm, however made a profound impression within the first half of the season whether or not that’s in central midfield or out on the correct wing.
It’s not simply Nwaneri’s technical skill that makes him particular, it’s the character he performs with. He passes and dribbles with objective effectively past his years. He’s harmful from all areas of the pitch and was compensating for the absence of Bukayo Saka on the correct facet earlier than struggling an harm of his personal.
In fact, Arsenal’s academy has produced homegrown heroes earlier than. It wasn’t so way back that Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah had been being billed as the way forward for the North London membership. Nonetheless, these three gamers function a cautionary story. Arsenal should do extra to safeguard the event of their newest crop.
There was by no means any plan for the expansion of Nelson, Smith Rowe and Nketiah. The previous went on mortgage to Hoffenheim and Feyenoord earlier than being farmed out to Fulham for the 2023/24 marketing campaign. In the meantime, Smith Rowe was offered completely to the identical membership final summer season with Nketiah additionally punted to Crystal Palace.
Smith Rowe and Nketiah absolutely would have given Arsenal some much-needed depth this season. The previous might need coated for Martin Ødegaard when he missed two months of motion by way of harm earlier within the season whereas the latter is the type of penalty field poacher Arsenal are at the moment missing.
Saka is the apparent instance for Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri to observe. The correct winger has been a primary group determine at Arsenal for the final six seasons and is now thought-about among the finest gamers in his place wherever in Europe. The Gunners are reliant on Saka and are paying for his absence proper now having received simply one in all their final 5 video games.
“I feel it creates perception within the journey,” stated Arteta relating to the instance Saka units for Arsenal’s academy graduates. Our gamers see there’s a pathway that they’ve alternatives and in the event that they earn it, they are going to be handled like the remaining. I used to be fortunate as a result of somebody trusted me at that age, and that’s what you want as effectively. It’s important to be surrounded by the correct group and gamers.”
The Arsenal academy conveyer belt is rolling once more with Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri on the vanguard of the membership’s future. The teenage pair have already made an impression within the first group, however at 17 and 18 stay within the childhood of their respective careers. Arsenal should do every little thing they will to make sure they observe the trail of Saka and never that of Nelson, Smith Rowe and Nketiah.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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