Pundit warns ‘scary’ Arsenal star that he’s now under serious pressure, but it’s a good thing for Mikel Arteta

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Robbie Earle believes one Arsenal star now has a serious fight on his hands to reclaim his spot in Mikel Arteta’s team.

Andrea Berta signed eight players over the summer, spending in excess of £250 million in the process.

While this has significantly strengthened Arteta’s squad, a by-product of this investment has been that certain individuals who had been playing regularly are now merely fulfilling squad roles.

The likes of Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard no longer have clear, prominent roles in the Spaniard’s side, and will have to work hard to reverse this.

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Robbie Earle says Myles Lewis-Skelly has to raise his level to play for Arsenal

Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed an exceptional breakout season last term.

The teenager burst onto the scene and grabbed the left-back spot while the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were struggling with injuries.

Forceful and aggressive defensively, Lewis-Skelly has been described as ‘scary’, while he’s also graceful and composed in possession.

However, the Hale End graduate has found himself behind Calafiori in the pecking order this season, with the Italian’s impressive performances making him undroppable.

Thomas Tuchel has subsequently revealed that Lewis-Skelly’s place in the England squad is under threat, and the German manager isn’t the only one who thinks the defender is under pressure.

Speaking on the 2 Robbies Podcast, Earle claimed that Lewis-Skelly now has to raise his level, although this is a positive for Arteta and Arsenal.

“I think he’s [Calafiori] taken the level up,” the pundit said.

“Myles Lewis-Skelly’s now got to significantly raise his level another level to play, but I think he’s a different type of defender, and I think that’s important for Arsenal to have.”

Piero Hincapie is also a big threat to Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly shouldn’t be overly concerned; there are plenty of matches to play throughout the season and Calafiori has notoriously struggled with his fitness.

That said, if the competition was already tough, it could be about to get a lot tougher for the youngster.

Arsenal signed left-sided defender Piero Hincapie on deadline day from Bayer Leverkusen, presumably to play regularly at left-back or left-centre-back.

Hincapie has spent the last few weeks sidelined with a groin injury, but is expected to make his return to action after the international break.

This will give Lewis-Skelly another player to contend with on the left-hand side, and the Ecuadorian certainly hasn’t moved to North London to sit on the bench.