Myles Lewis-Skelly just matched one Champions League feat last managed by an Arsenal player in 2006

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Myles Lewis-Skelly was handed his first ever Champions League start as Arsenal beat Monaco 3-0 on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal are currently facing a defensive injury crisis, as Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Riccardo Calafiori were all ruled out, whilst Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber faced fitness scares ahead of this fixture. 

As such, Mikel Arteta turned to Myles Lewis-Skelly, deploying the 18-year-old at left-back. The Hale End academy graduate was able to acquit himself brilliantly. 

• READ MORE: Everything Arsenal fans need to know about Myles Lewis-Skelly

Myles Lewis-Skelly matches Johan Djourou feat for Arsenal

Arsenal fans were raving about Lewis-Skelly’s display in the wake of this match. The teenager showcased a maturity beyond his years, and showed flashes of real quality on the ball. 

Lewis-Skelly played a key role in the opening goal. He was able to shimmy away from a Monaco player to create space for himself, before breaking through the opposition defence with an inch-perfect through-ball to pick out Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian striker’s low cross was then turned in by Bukayo Saka at the far post. Plenty of Arsenal players celebrated with Lewis-Skelly, appreciating his part in the goal. 

This is just one example of the youngster’s impressive passing ability, which was on show throughout the match.

In fact, his passing was so good that it matched a Champions League feat recorded by former Arsenal centre-back Johan Djourou in September 2006, when Lewis-Skelly himself was just 13 days old. 

As reported by Opta on X: “96% – Myles Lewis-Skelly completed 45 of 47 passes tonight, the best passing accuracy (min. 25 passes) by an Arsenal teenager in a UEFA Champions League game since Johan Djourou vs Hamburger SV in September 2006 (97%), in the month Lewis-Skelly was born. Generations.”

What Lewis-Skelly Champions League stats prove to Mikel Arteta

Lewis-Skelly can be proud of his overall display in this Champions League clash, as he was able to prove that he can shine on the biggest stage.

As per stats from Sofascore, the numbers demonstrate that the youngster was able to rise to the occasion. 

Lewis-Skelly stats vs Monaco:

Lewis-Skelly deserves more game time for Arsenal after this display, and given the injury challenges that Arteta is currently battling, there could be no better time for the England under-19 international to step up and come to the fore.