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Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign for Arsenal last season after being promoted from the club’s academy last season.
The 18-year-old netted his first Premier League goal in a 5-1 win over Manchester City, while a series of impressive displays also earned him a place in the England squad, where he scored in a 2-0 victory against Albania.
Although he narrowly missed out on the Premier League Young Player of the Season award to Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch, being tipped as one of the favourites was a sign of just how impressive his breakthrough campaign was..
Heading into this season, Lewis-Skelly looked ready to build on that success in what would be his first full campaign with the senior side. Yet across Arsenal’s opening three fixtures, he has only featured for 44 minutes.
On the surface, it appears disappointing that such a promising young player isn’t being given a bigger opportunity. But given Mikel Arteta’s current full-back options, it is difficult to argue with the decisions being made.
Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have both impressed early on, with Arsenal conceding just one goal so far this season - a stunning 32-yard free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai that no defence could realistically prevent. From open play, the back line has been flawless, and both full-backs have been central to that solidity.
Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn has already praised Calafiori’s impact this season, who signed from Bologna for a fee worth £42million including add-ons. He told SportsMole: "I have to say Calafiori has impressed in the opening three games. Scoring a goal was great, but he has looked assured defensively, gave Salah nothing and goes forward with the ball very well.
"He is always looking to drive forward and never lets his defensive duties slack off, he is always in the right place."
The question now for Lewis-Skelly is can he show his quality and re-establish himself as Arteta's main man at left-back?
Cup competitions and certain Champions League fixtures will provide opportunities, but to truly force his way into the starting XI, the teenager will have to out do his teammates’ impressive performances against elite opposition.
Lewis-Skelly's brilliant performance against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last season show he has what it takes to play against the best players in the world, but he'll have to bide his time given the form of Calafiori and seize his opportunity when it comes his way.
The 18-year-old is one of the world's brightest young talents and Arteta will get to see just how good he can be this season, but he's going to need minutes on the pitch.
The conundrum the Gunners boss currently has, is he knows the England international needs minutes, but also won't want to affect the brilliant defensive record Arsenal currently boast with Calafiori in full flow. It's a tricky dilemma for Arteta to try and address.
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