Soccer

Arsenal teen Lewis-Skelly feared ‘looking soft’ in front of his grandma in derby

18-year-old’s performance in north London derby against Spurs hailed as ‘scary’ by Declan Rice

Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly in action against Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire
Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly in action against Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire
Thu Jan 16 2025 - 12:34

Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly 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.

Lewis-Skelly, 18, followed Cesc Fabregas to become Arsenal’s youngest player to start against Tottenham in two decades, and the left back turned in an eye-catching display at the Emirates to help his side secure a 2-1 comeback win that keeps their Premier League dream alive.

Lewis-Skelly only made his first appearance for Arsenal as a late substitute against Manchester City in September, but he has now started seven of the club’s last nine matches.

Declan Rice hailed Lewis-Skelly’s performance against Spurs as “scary”, “ridiculous” and “unbelievable”. And the defender 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.

READ MORE

“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.”

Like Bukayo Saka, Lewis-Skelly is a product of the club’s Hale End academy. And manager Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise of the Islington teenager, who played as a midfielder in Arsenal’s youth set-up.

“He makes everybody at the club very proud,” said Arteta. “He has been in our system for a long time. We know the kind of education that the academy is giving to our boys to get prepared, and we have to pick them in the moment they are ready.

“With him he was ready very early and in a different position. 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.”

Arsenal trailed through Son Heung-min’s opener before Dominic Solanke scored an own goal, and Leandro Trossard struck to send Tottenham to their fourth defeat in five league games.

Tottenham are 13th, just eight points clear of the drop zone. And speaking to TNT Sports, Son said: “It is very disappointing because this game means a lot to the club and fans.

“Conceding goals like this is more painful and we were way too passive in the first half. We were not disciplined enough and we have to do better in every aspect. When you look at the table, it is not good enough.”