Darren Bent fears Myles Lewis-Skelly will end up being dropped back to the bench for Tuesday evening’s crunch Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, despite turning in an ‘outstanding’ display against Fulham.
The 19-year-old has found game time tough to come by this season after a spectacular breakthrough campaign, with Piero Hincapie sharing the left-back role with Riccardo Calafiori to leave Lewis-Skelly out in the cold.
But with the clash against Atletico on the horizon, Mikel Arteta opted to freshen up a tired-looking Arsenal first XI, with Lewis-Skelly handed his first-ever start in his preferred role in the heart of midfield against the Cottagers.
The teenage talent, who has been heavily linked with Manchester United, rewarded his manager’s faith with a superb display that warranted plenty of praise from Arteta.
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Indeed, speaking after the match, the Gunners boss told reporters: “He’s been showing in training every day the opportunities that he had to play. He’s done it and today he really stepped up and I thought he had an incredible performance.”
However, Bent fears Lewis-Skelly’s display won’t be enough to see him retain his place against Diego Simeone’s side, especially with a key player given a much-needed rest.
The former Tottenham striker told Premier League Live: “Zubimendi will probably come back in because he’s the more senior player.
“But I think the manager will be looking at his performance today thinking do you know what if a game’s going on against Atletico and it’s not quite working, he’ll have no doubts whatsoever. He knows he’s good enough to play in there, go and play.
“I understand Zubimendi’s been outstanding this season, maybe he’s faltered a bit of late.
“But Myles Lewis-Skelly, that’s not just a normal performance where you go he did OK, he did alright. He is capable of playing there, that was a top-level performance.”
Lewis-Skelly passes big Arteta audition
Bent did, however, suggest that with the games coming thick and fast at the business end of the campaign, Arteta will have seen more than enough against Fulham to feel comfortable calling on Lewis-Skelly again for a starting role.
He added: “I genuinely think Mikel Arteta will be looking at that thinking if he doesn’t play against Atletico, he could definitely play against West Ham.
“I think it’s important to have the right players and environment around him. Putting him alongside the likes of Declan and Eberechi Eze is key.
“I think Declan will always talk to him. He had Mark Noble for him when he got in that West Ham team.
“I think it was the perfect environment, the perfect opposition in terms of a team that wasn’t really going to press, although I thought they’d be better. He was just outstanding today.
“All the little bits he had to do, breaking up play, passing the ball forwards. That was the key, too often in the last few weeks we’ve seen Arsenal players pass the buck and go backwards.
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“That then allows the team to get back into shape and then it’s hard to break down.
“The moment Lewis-Skelly got it he was on the half-term then boom, where’s Saka, where’s Eze, where’s Trossard.
“Then when you’ve beaten that press early Arsenal can play in the areas they want.”
