Mikel Arteta responds after being told to play ‘talented’ Arsenal star in different position

Mikel Arteta insists Myles Lewis-Skelly will continue to play at left-back amid calls for the Arsenal youngster to return to his natural midfield position.

Lewis-Skelly is enjoying a เล่น UFABET ผ่านมือถือ สะดวกทุกที่ ทุกเวลา breakthrough season at the Emirates after making his debut in the 2-2 draw at Manchester City last September.

The 18-year-old has since made 15 appearances in all competitions, most recently putting in a star performance in the north London derby win over Tottenham on Wednesday night.

Curiously, Lewis-Skelly has playe exclusively as a left-back for Arsenal, despite the Hale End Academy graduate’s natural position being centre-midfield.

Such is his form that he has usurped Riccardo Calafiori in the pecking order, taking full advantage of the injuries to full-backs Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Benjamin White.

There are reports that Arteta will change the teenager’s position next season as he looks to re-galvanise his midfield and that is something Arsenal hero Alan Smith would like to see happen.

‘It’s great to see a young, talented player like Myles coming through the academy,’ the former striker told.

‘Lewis-Skelly can certainly play the left-back position, and he is playing in the Premier League now against top opponents at a very young age in a position he hasn’t played too much.

‘That tells us something about his abilities. Sometimes players get converte into new positions, but it would be nice to see. Him in the midfield where he probably feels more confident.’

But, speaking in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa, Arteta said he was very pleased with how the England youth international had adapted to left-back, hinting it was now his permanent position.

‘The moment I saw him, the only way I could think was to change his position. You want to have a chance here,’ the Gunners boss said.

‘I spoke to him and I said, “this is where you’re going to have your chance”. I think it fits a lot his quality, the way that we play and it fits because we have necessities in the position.

So we started to work on that. He put it into it straight away with the personality that he has.

‘Adapting to the role is not just on the defensive part. I think physically, very different demands. You’re facing wingers a lot of times in that position. You have to be part of the defensive line.

‘You have to know when to release, when to not. When the ball is on your side, how you have to defend the box. Something that he wasn’t used to do that. And then all the attacking process on top of that.

‘So it’s quite a lot. He’s dealing with that in a great way physically as well. Physically he’s matured a lot in the last year or so. And they had a great performance with that.’