It’s been an odd few weeks for Arsenal, as while they are just four points off top spot in the Premier League, undefeated in the Champions League and into the next round of the League Cup, it feels like the club are in the midst of a mini-crisis.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been ravaged by injuries, with the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and now Riccardo Calafiori all out and on top of that, William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth means he’ll be out of this weekend’s must-win game against Liverpool.
Moreover, while the North Londoners claimed all three points against Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk last night, they put in a less than convincing performance and will have to seriously up their attacking threat against the Reds come Sunday.
However, a win is a win, and while the display was less than stellar, there were at least a couple of positives to come out of the game, notably Myles Lewis-Skelly’s surprise substitute performance.
Myles Lewis-Skelly's notable cameo
Before last night, Lewis-Skelly had made three first-team appearances for Arsenal this season. However, his only substantial game time came in the League Cup clash against Bolton Wanderers, as against Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City the 17-year-old was limited to just one minute.
So, when Calafiori had to come off with 18 minutes to go, and with the Gunners just 1-0 up and looking far from comfortable, it was something of a surprise to see Arteta turn to the teenager, but even with the pressure of a home European tie, the Englishman once again demonstrated why he is so highly rated by those in the know, and why he has an exceptionally bright future in the team.
For example, despite being on the pitch for less than 20 minutes, the “exceptionally talented” Islington-born gem, as dubbed by Arsenal podcaster Adam Keys, took 15 touches, completed 100% of his passes, won a foul, won one of two duels, blocked a shot, and generally looked right at home, which should hopefully see him given more game time in the coming weeks and months.
While the circumstances of his introduction to the team are far from ideal, the fact that Arteta trusted Lewis-Skelly to come on in such an important game speaks volumes of the future he may have at the Emirates. However, it also says a lot about the lack of a future one of his more senior teammates may have.
Oleksandr Zinchenko's future at Arsenal
Yes, the senior player in question is Ukrainian left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was on the bench for last night’s game but, alongside Jakub Kiwior, was overlooked in place of the young Lewis-Skelly.
However, while the Polish international has played 195 minutes of first-team football in five appearances this season, the former Manchester City ace, who cost the Gunners up to £32m in the summer of 2022, has played just 79 minutes of action.
Now, while this is in part due to his consistent injury problems, he was clearly fit enough to make it onto the bench last night, and with his vast experience, it would not have been surprising to see him come on for the injured Calafiori, but the fact he was overlooked could suggest his time in North London is coming to an end.
Appearances
33
35
2
Minutes
2411′
2082′
79′
Goals
1
1
0
Assists
2
2
0
In fact, his game time has been steadily declining over the last few seasons. For example, in 2022/23 he played 2411 minutes for the first team; the following campaign saw him play just 2082 minutes, and as we have already mentioned, he’s played just 79 minutes of first-team football this season.
Ultimately, the Radomyshl-born full-back is an undeniably talented player with an excellent eye for a pass, but with Arteta clearly favouring a more reliable calibre of defender these days and Zinchenko’s zero minutes of action last night feel like a sign that his career in red and white is all but over.
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