Mikel Arteta throws down gauntlet to dropped Arsenal star: ‘Show the level’ | OneFootball

Myles Lewis-Skelly facing fight to win back place in the team as left-back prepares to make first Arsenal start of the season

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It sums up the peculiar nature of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s season that, so far, he has played more minutes for England than Arsenal.

The 18-year-old has even started more games for his country, playing the full 90 minutes in England’s 1-0 win over Andorra this month.

At Arsenal, though, his 66 minutes have come only across three substitute appearances.

The left-back is primed to change that tonight by starting at League One side Port Vale in the third round of the Carabao Cup, but his exposure this season has still been a far cry from the previous one.

Lewis-Skelly made 39 appearances for Arsenal last season - the most by a player aged 18 or under since Cesc Fabregas in 2005-06.

Lewis-Skelly has been limited to three substitute appearances for Arsenal this season

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

He became a regular in the side at the turn of the year, starting 21 of Arsenal’s 31 games from that point.

During that run, he became the youngest Englishman to start a Champions League semi-final, after getting the nod in both legs against Paris Saint-Germain.

It capped off a remarkable season and, in truth, Lewis-Skelly achieved more than anyone expected.

No one predicted he would become first-choice Arsenal left-back, but injuries and timing allowed him to seize the opportunity.

Lewis-Skelly now faces a fight for his place in the team, though, with Riccardo Calafiori back fit. The Italian has started every game this season and Arteta has made it clear the shirt is his to lose.

“You can be at a really good level but somebody can be at a different level, or it’s just that I have the perception at the moment that it’s better to play or start somebody else in the team,” said Arteta.

“It doesn’t mean Myles has done something wrong at all, completely the opposite. So when he has the chance, he has to try to show the level that he’s at, elevate it, and make the decision even harder.”

Arteta has laid down the gauntlet - and now it is up to Lewis-Skelly to respond.

Lewis-Skelly is set to start against Doncaster in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

The teenager should have no problem doing so, because as he came through Arsenal’s academy his mentality impressed the club’s youth coaches.

Lewis-Skelly is a competitor, both on and off the pitch. Indeed, last season, he had the second-best duel success rate among Premier League players to contest over 100 of them.

The battle with Calafiori will be an intriguing one, but Arteta hopes it will drive Lewis-Skelly on to be a better player.

A big part of Arsenal’s recruitment this summer was to increase competition across the squad.

Previously, the club used a ‘tier system’ for signings and players. The tiers ranked from one to three, with the lower the number denoting a player’s proximity to the first team.

Arteta and the club have scrapped that system, arguing that with so many games and so much rotation, the idea of a fixed first XI no longer works.

Calafiori and Lewis-Skelly’s fight best demonstrates this new era, as both could easily be considered starters.

They offer different qualities, too. Calafiori likes to get forward and no player in the Arsenal squad has had more shots this season.

Lewis-Skelly, in contrast, tucks into midfield and dictates play from deep.

“If you look at the amount of time that Myles defends and attacks in certain spaces, he’s much more a midfielder than a full-back,” Arteta explained.

That versatility also appeals to England boss Thomas Tuchel, who has been impressed with Lewis-Skelly since his debut in March. England lack left-backs, and Tuchel will be eager for him to reclaim his place in the Arsenal team.

Lewis-Skelly, too, has his eyes on the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer. But for that dream to stay alive, his Arsenal minutes must start to catch up with his England ones.

Vale Park tonight could be where that balance finally begins to shift.