Adrian Clarke looks at key players, team tactics, and where matches can be won and lost in Matchweek 19.
Player analysis: Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
When a young player comes into first-team football and immediately exudes a calm temperament, confidence and natural strength, they quickly gain the trust of their team-mates and manager.
This is certainly the case with Arsenal’s latest gem from their academy in Hale End, Myles Lewis-Skelly.
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Fresh from completing his first 90 minutes in the Premier League against Ipswich Town, on his third successive top-flight start, the 18-year-old looks like he has been playing senior football for years, not a matter of weeks.
Currently keeping players such as Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney out of the starting XI, left-back Lewis-Skelly has made a wonderful early impression.
Passing with distinction
As Arsenal are a possession-based side, Mikel Arteta requires his players to look after the ball with care and that is very much one of the teenager’s main qualities.
Whether it is knitting moves together by shifting the ball with one or two touches, coping with pressure applied by opponents inside his own half, or picking out the occasional incisive pass, Lewis-Skelly is reliable in possession.
Indeed, his 96.3 per cent passing accuracy is a competition-best among defenders to have made at least three Premier League starts this season.
In all areas of the pitch, he looks after the ball outstandingly well.
Best passing accuracy – PL defenders 24/25
| Passing accuracy % | Passing accuracy own half % | Passing accuracy opp. half % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis-Skelly | 96.3% | Lewis-Skelly | 98.2% | Lewis-Skelly | 95.5% |
| Jones | 95.1% | Jones | 98.0% | Disasi | 94.7% |
| Akanji | 94.6% | Bogarde | 97.9% | Dias | 93.7% |
In his 233 minutes of Premier League action so far, Lewis-Skelly has made only three key passes, but on his first UEFA Champions League start against Monaco, he provided a glimpse of his capabilities in this department.
Turning his man cleverly, the youngster then opened up the Monaco defence with a fantastic through ball between defenders (below).
Gabriel Jesus received the pass before laying a goal on for Bukayo Saka.
As Lewis-Skelly fully acclimatises to top-tier football, these are the kind of contributions he could end up producing on a regular basis.
For now, he does not take many risks with his distribution – indeed, only one pass so far has found a team-mate inside the penalty area. But generally, his choice of pass is always the right option.
Where does Lewis-Skelly play?
Lewis-Skelly has always been regarded as a ball-carrying central midfielder, but Arteta is now in the process of converting him into an inverted left-back.
Effectively performing the same role as the one Zinchenko had previously made his own, Lewis-Skelly comes into central midfield to create a 3-2-5 or 3-4-3 shape when Arsenal build from the back.
His heat map for the season so far (below) highlights how much Lewis-Skelly revels in playing infield, and from a left-sided No 8 position he tends to get the highest number of touches.
Making only one cross in open play until this point, he is a full-back that wants to play on the inside of Arsenal’s wide forwards. Being naturally right-footed, overlaps are not his strong suit.
Better than van Dijk in duels
Arsenal’s next opponents Brentford have the highest success rate in duels (52.1 per cent) of all 20 top-flight teams.
The Gunners can expect a stern physical examination from an aggressive and physically robust Brentford side in west London.
That kind of challenge will not deter Lewis-Skelly, who appears to thrive in situations where he must show determination and muscle.
Remarkably, no player in Arteta’s squad comes close to matching Lewis-Skelly’s 73.1 per cent success rate in duels, and he averages almost eight duels won per 90 minutes.
Across the division, Lewis-Skelly ranks second for duel success among players who have made at least three starts; he is only behind Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
Liverpool’s superb centre-backs Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk both find themselves behind the rookie Arsenal full-back inside the top five.
Highest % duels won 24/25*
| Player | Duels won % |
| Ezri Konsa (AVL) | 75.0% |
|---|---|
| Myles Lewis-Skelly (ARS) | 73.1% |
| Ibrahima Konate (LIV) | 71.6% |
| Tosin Adarabioyo (CHE) | 71.1% |
| Virgil van Dijk (LV) | 70.9% |
*minimum three starts
Of all the stats associated with Lewis-Skelly right now, his duel-winning numbers are perhaps the most impressive.
Teenage talents are not usually as strong in this department. For a player of his inexperience to produce such outstanding numbers is a testament to his technique and concentration levels.
Arsenal team-mate Declan Rice spoke about Lewis-Skelly after his assured performance against Ipswich and said: “He can go to the top, this kid is just special, very special.
“For an 18-year-old to be that good, that comfortable, that strong – it was like he was built in a lab!”
Top defender for drawing fouls
Over a larger sample size of appearances, some of these amazing stats may dip, but across 233 minutes of Premier League action, Lewis-Skelly could not have been any more impressive.
It should also be noted that he has recovered well from a minor error in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool on his league debut.
During an appearance as a second-half substitute, he pushed forward to link play with Gabriel Martinelli, a decision which was out of keeping with the cautious approach Jurrien Timber had taken when marking Mohamed Salah in the match.
When possession was lost, Lewis-Skelly was forced to sprint back but was unable to recover a solid goal-side position against Salah, who ran on to score a vital strike.
To his credit, Lewis-Skelly’s positioning and decision-making has been almost faultless ever since.
Beyond his passing and duel-winning, he has drawn the most fouls (2.72 per 90 minutes) among top-flight defenders, with rival sides struggling to handle his ball-carrying ability.
In tight spaces, Lewis-Skelly has the balance and nimble footwork that can help him escape difficult situations.
With the experienced Calafiori waiting in the wings, Lewis-Skelly may not be able to hold onto his spot indefinitely, but for now, this Arsenal academy graduate looks very much at home in his new environment.