Mikel Arteta just did what every Arsenal fan has been begging him to do all season vs Newcastle

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Mikel Arteta will be a happy man after his Arsenal side beat Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The Gunners went into the game at the Emirates Stadium after back-to-back defeats against Bournemouth and Manchester City.

That made the clash against Newcastle a must-win, and Eberechi Eze’s wonder strike sealed the three points.

What caught our eye, however, was a substitution Arteta made in the second half – Myles Lewis-Skelly came on for Martin Zubimendi. This has been a long time coming.

Mikel Arteta finally fulfilled Arsenal fans’ Myles Lewis-Skelly wish

Lewis-Skelly has had a very difficult season at Arsenal.

The teenager had his breakthrough campaign in 2024/25, where he was absolutely outstanding. He produced several incredible performances, including ones against the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

Everyone expected Lewis-Skelly to retain his place in the starting line-up, but Mikel Arteta preferred Riccardo Calafiori in that role earlier in the campaign and Piero Hincapie now.

Since then, Arsenal fans have been begging for Lewis-Skelly to be given opportunities in midfield.

Zubimendi has looked tired in many games in the past, and the youngster should’ve come on for him in some of those games.

That, unfortunately, never happened before, but Arteta finally changed his ways against Newcastle and gave Lewis-Skelly a few minutes in the middle of the park.

That was a brave thing to do while his side were defending a narrow lead, but Lewis-Skelly held his own and showed he deserves more opportunities.

Myles Lewis-Skelly may not have a future at Arsenal if he doesn’t impress in midfield

Lewis-Skelly is naturally a midfielder, and he grew up being educated in that role in the Arsenal academy.

The way the 19-year-old impressed at left-back last season made everyone believe that his future lies there, but circumstances have changed.

Calafiori and Hincapie will be one and two for Arteta at left-back, which means Lewis-Skelly will either need to nail down a place elsewhere or leave the club.

It was great to see the Arsenal manager giving him a chance in midfield, albeit for 10 minutes. We hope he gets more opportunities there in the coming games, as it could make or break his Arsenal career.