Should Myles Lewis-Skelly be dropped for game against Real Madrid?

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·6 aprile 2025

Should Myles Lewis-Skelly be dropped for game against Real Madrid?

There is a certain irony in the fact that Saturday was intended as a rehearsal to determine who could prove their fitness to play in our defence against Real Madrid. Yet, it may have led to the conclusion that Myles Lewis-Skelly should not be starting on Tuesday.

While Everton’s penalty decision was contentious, it should not obscure the fact that it was another lapse in discipline from the teenager. He failed to play the ball and handed the official a decision to make in what was, in truth, a straightforward situation.

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Critiquing any Gunner must be done carefully, as some supporters tend to portray our players as better than they are—particularly when they are academy graduates.

When one of our own earns an England cap, criticism can be met with accusations of negativity, even when simply pointing out that the 18-year-old is frequently caught out of position when we concede. Yet, hindsight is of little use once the damage is done.

In the Champions League knockout stages, the margin between success and failure can come down to the smallest moments and finest details. Deploying a midfielder out of position over two legs could prove costly. It remains Arteta’s decision, of course, but it is worth noting that he has experienced left-backs available on the bench. Is this an instance of the manager overthinking matters?

Man City 2-2 ArsenalIn stoppage time, Lewis-Skelly made his Premier League debut following Timber’s injury at right-back. Six minutes later, Manchester City equalised from a quickly taken corner. It occurred on his side, and it was the right-back’s responsibility to be alert—especially given that he had only just come on with the express task of helping to see out the match. His reluctance to engage may have stemmed from being already on a booking for touchline antics, meaning he could afford no further risks.

Arsenal 5-1 BoltonIn a sign of things to come, opponents targeted our left side on the counter-attack, with Lewis-Skelly having overcommitted during a set-piece.

Arsenal 2-2 LiverpoolLeading the match, Arsenal made the tactical decision to concede possession in an effort to protect the advantage. Lewis-Skelly was introduced in the 76th minute, and five minutes later Liverpool equalised. Alexander-Arnold exploited the space left by the full-back, who was too far up the pitch, and played a superb ball over his head, leaving our centre-backs outnumbered.

Arsenal 1-1 Man UnitedIn an attacking phase, the 18-year-old attempted to win a header but misjudged it. The visitors capitalised on his positional error, sent a pass down the side he had vacated, and scored.

Newcastle 2-0 ArsenalPossibly chasing the result from the first leg, our full-backs were pushed too far forward, leaving Gabriel and Saliba exposed. When Isak’s shot rebounded off the post, Murphy was in the area our left-back should have occupied.

Arsenal 0-1 West HamAfter the uproar from the previous week, Lewis-Skelly should have taken a lesson from the Wolves match. However, after giving the ball away near the halfway line, he showed no awareness of Raya’s advanced position. The goalkeeper was far off his line, and the left-back was shown a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.

(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

PSV 1-7 ArsenalHad the officials acted correctly, the left-back’s lack of discipline might have drawn more scrutiny. Despite being on a yellow card, he committed a needless foul on Ledezma. Arteta substituted him after just 35 minutes.

Everton 1-1 ArsenalA routine goal kick was mishandled, with Lewis-Skelly allowing the ball to bounce. Rather than attacking the ball, he focused on the player leaning on him, again presenting the referee with a decision to make.

That is a considerable number of errors for a player who only made his debut in September.

Would you start him midweek?

Dan Smith

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