Lewis-Skelly on his terrific performance against Spurs after admitting he feared ‘looking soft’ in front of grandma.
Lewis-Skelly has said he was determined to impress on his north London derby debut because he did not want to “look soft” in front of his grandmother.
Against Tottenham, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly became Arsenal’s youngest player to start in 20 years, since Cesc Fàbregas. The left-back put on a spectacular performance at the Emirates to help his team win 2-1 in a comeback.
Lewis-Skelly has started seven of Arsenal’s last nine games since making his debut as a late replacement against Manchester City in September.
He told Optus Sport: “My mum, my grandma, my friends [were at the game]. And I had to put on a show for my grandma, to make sure that I did not look soft in front of her. I had to make sure I was winning my tackles for her, and hopefully she is proud of me.
“The match was amazing, and everything that lived up to my dreams. I couldn’t believe it. I just had to take in every moment and every second. Honestly, it was amazing, and it is moments like this that we live for.”
Lewis-Skelly is a graduate of the club’s Hale End academy, just like Bukayo Saka. Lewis-Skelly, a teenager from Islington who played as a midfielder in the youth setup, was praised profusely by Arteta, who also called his performance against Spurs “scary,” “ridiculous,” and “unbelievable.”
“He was ready very early and in a different position,” the manager said. “He has never played as a full-back before, but is a joy to watch. It’s very rare to see an 18-year-old against [Dejan] Kulusevski and [Brennan] Johnson in a big London derby for the first time, perform with that composure, with that attitude, and that emotional control.”