Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly snub Bukayo Saka in praise of two surprise Arsenal stars

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The Arsenal academy is thriving right now, with two potentially top-class talents breaking into the first team this season.

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly both caught the eye in the Hale End Academy, and are now making waves in the Arsenal first-team.

Nwaneri was the star of the show as he scored a stunner in Arsenal’s victory over Preston North End, whilst Lewis-Skelly has been trusted as a substitute against Manchester City and Liverpool.

They are both following the path laid out by Bukayo Saka, who developed in the Hale End Academy to become a key Arsenal player, but they have both snubbed him when praising their senior teammates.

• READ MORE: Arsenal’s XI from Bukayo Saka’s first-team debut

Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri praise Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli

The Hale End pair were speaking to Worldwide1z when they were asked which Arsenal player they would pick to score in a 1v1 situation, if their lives depended on it.

Nwaneri chose Gabriel Martinelli and heaped praise on the winger.

“I’m saying Martinelli,” Nwaneri replied. “He’s very sharp, he’s top on 1v1s.”

Lewis-Skelly made an even more surprising choice, as he named Gabriel Jesus as his pick.

“Probably Jesus, Gabriel Jesus,” Lewis-Skelly responded.

“He’s got that Brazilian flair about him, you can’t tackle him.”

Arsenal attackers inspiring the next generation of Hale End youngsters

Despite neither player naming Saka as their choice in 1v1 situations, it is clear that Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly look up to the England star as their inspiration, with Saka once in the same position the teenagers are in now.

Martinelli is suffering from inconsistent form, but he is still someone who joined the club as a teenager from Brazil, and developed into a key first-team player under Mikel Arteta, and he leads by example with his work-rate.

Jesus has also faced a difficult period in recent months, but like the Arsenal starlets, Jesus was a highly-rated talent when he broke into the Palmeiras team, and his all-round play and skill is clearly inspiring for the younger players in the squad.