Jamie Carragher doubts Arsenal star’s age after impressive display | OneFootball

Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly put in an excellent display that had commentator Jamie Carragher doubting his age against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

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Myles Lewis-Skelly made his second consecutive Premier League start for Arsenal on Saturday, featuring in the lineup ahead of Kieran Tierney, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jakub Kiwior – all on the bench.

An outsider might have questioned that decision, given Lewis-Skelly’s youth and inexperience. But any doubters would quickly have changed their tune after watching the youngster in action.

Playing 58 minutes of the match, Lewis-Skelly completed 18 of 19 attempted passes, won five of seven duels and two free-kicks, and completed his only attempted dribble. But those stats don’t tell the full story.

Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba were having a rare off-day in possession, so Lewis-Skelly’s calmness was vital. And with the pressure Palace put him under, it was remarkable he kept Arsenal in possession so consistently.

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Lewis-Skelly’s performance was so mature that Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher remarked: “He doesn’t look like an 18-year-old kid, does he?”

Fellow defender Jurrien Timber had praise for the youngster on Instagram, commenting “young king” on Lewis-Skelly’s photo.

Fans have drawn comparisons between the two players, with the pair both showing remarkable strength on the ball despite not being quite as big as Gabriel or Saliba.

They also both have plenty of agility and an eye for a pass, so the resemblance is definitely there.

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The expectation is still that Calafiori will come back into the side once he’s fully fit. The Italian international got 32 minutes of the Palace game and provided an assist for Declan Rice, so he played his part in the result as well.

Lewis-Skelly is also a midfielder by trade, so he won’t necessarily expect to keep playing at left-back forever anyway.

The good news is that Arsenal aren’t totally reliant on throwing Calafiori back in and risking another injury setback. Lewis-Skelly is proving they have a strong alternative when called upon.