Rio Ferdinand says the way Mikel Arteta is treating one Arsenal player is an absolute ‘joke’

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Despite Arsenal’s strong start to the season, Rio Ferdinand has one complaint about Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners’ win over Newcastle United put Arteta’s side within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool. 

The victory was a rarity, as it was the first time that Arsenal had come from behind to win at St James’ Park in 39 years. 

It wasn’t only the way in which Arsenal won that was uncommon, but also who featured, as Myles Lewis-Skelly was introduced in the dying embers. 

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Rio Ferdinand doesn’t understand Mikel Arteta’s treatment of Myles Lewis-Skelly

Recently, Arteta revealed why he hasn’t given Lewis-Skelly many minutes this season so far, praising Riccardo Calafiori’s impact. 

Since the Premier League kicked off, the teenager has played only 68 minutes, which is a stark contrast to how he ended the 2024/25 campaign.

Rio Ferdinand is shocked by Lewis-Skelly’s lack of minutes, communicating his concern about the situation weeks ago, and after the win at Newcastle, the pundit echoed his opinion. 

“I keep looking at and thinking, right, this is mad. What’s Lewis-Skelly done?” Ferdinand asked on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. 

The Manchester United icon went on to say that while he likes Calafiori, he doesn’t see a way that Lewis-Skelly’s absence can be justified.

“I don’t know. What is he doing? He comes on at 80-something minutes, just like… I mean, listen, the replacement is an Italian international is a good player, don’t get me wrong. I like him.

“Sometimes you’ve got to do something wrong to come out of the team, surely. Or is it just like he’s played a lot of football, young kid, we’re going to give him a breather? I don’t get it.”

Ferdinand is a fan of Lewis-Skelly, having seen his rise over the past year, but such makes it even harder for the pundit to understand why he’s not seeing more of the Arsenal academy product. 

“Lewis-Skelly is better on the ball in midfield. And I didn’t see him get beaten defensively, really. I mean, he got a few situations, red cards, et cetera. But I see him playing big games and looking so unfazed. It was a joke. I can’t believe he’s not in the team.”

Ferdinand made it clear that he thinks it’s a joke that Arteta isn’t giving Lewis-Skelly more of a platform to shine, but right now, there’s no clear solution. 

Riccardo Calafiori is the clear favourite in Arteta’s eyes

Arteta demands a lot from Calafiori and, in turn, relies a lot on the Italian’s broad skillset to deliver the manager’s tactical demands. 

Unfortunately, the way that Arsenal play demands what Calafiori currently gives Arteta, which forces Lewis-Skelly out of the squad.

That’s not to say that the England international won’t get minutes, but it certainly limits them for now.

As Ferdinand stressed, the Hale End product isn’t merely a left-back, but is actually better in midfield, something we are yet to see Arteta utilise in the Arsenal first team.

It’s set to be a challenging season for the teen, as competition in the Arsenal squad rises, pushing those outside of the starting XI to maintain their absolute best level.