Myles Lewis-Skelly’s development in recent months has prompted talk of an international call-up, although the Arsenal man endured a difficult weekend.
With the Gunners’ clash against West Ham poised at 1-0 to the away side, Lewis-Skelly was sent off for denying Mohammed Kudus a goal-scoring opportunity.
The teenager tripped the Ghanaian as he was looking to run through on goal, and gave Craig Pawson no choice but to give him his marching orders.
Arsenal ultimately lost 1-0 to the Hammers, significantly damaging their already faint title hopes.
This was Lewis-Skelly’s second red card in a matter of weeks, while his primary competitor for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad enjoyed an exceptional weekend.
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Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Lewis Hall has what England need
With Luke Shaw perennially injured, Kieran Trippier retiring from international football and Ben Chilwell’s career stalling, the left-back position has opened up for someone to claim in the England squad.
Lewis-Skelly is being watched by Tuchel, and is expected to be considered as an option for the Three Lions’ March World Cup qualifiers.
However, Newcastle United left-back Lewis Hall may have gained an upper hand on his counterpart this weekend.
The defender registered an assist for the Magpies against Nottingham Forest, producing an outstanding performance all round.
Speaking on the Wrighty’s House podcast, Arsenal legend Ian Wright waxed lyrical about Hall.
“I like Lewis Hall as well,” he said.
“I like the way he plays, like where he gets around and like his aggressiveness in the defence.
“I like the way he plays on that left side, the natural left side that England need.”
While not a direct assessment of Lewis-Skelly’s England credentials, these comments do suggest Wright believes that Hall is the right man to start for the international side at the moment.
England face Albania and Latvia in March, as the Tuchel reign commences.
Lewis-Skelly’s statistics vs Lewis Hall
While the pair of left-backs are inherently different stylistically, with Hall more of a marauding traditional full-back and Lewis-Skelly preferring to invert into midfield, the data provides some interesting comparison points.
Both prolific progressive passes, Lewis-Skelly carries the ball through pressure more effectively than the Newcastle man, whilst also retaining possession much more successfully.
| Statistical Comparison 2024/25 (Premier League only) | ||
| Stat | Hall | Lewis-Skelly |
| Appearances | 26 | 12 |
| Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Assists | 4 | 0 |
| Pass Accuracy | 81.8% | 91.3% |
| Progressive Passes per 90 | 5.06 | 4.51 |
| Progressive Carries per 90 | 1.67 | 1.83 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 1.46 | 0.42 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.19 | 2.68 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 0.77 | 0.7 |
However, the numbers indicate that Lewis-Skelly could add more to his game in a creative sense to catch up with Hall.
The former Chelsea man assists 1.46 shots per 90 minutes compared to the Hale End graduate’s 0.42.
This is partly a symptom of the system and role that Mikel Arteta asks of Lewis-Skelly, but the youngster could be slightly more creative with his passing when he does get into the final third.
With both players clearly top emerging talents, Tuchel has a big decision to make.
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