Arsenal starlets Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri have gone from strength to strength in the academy, but they were dealt a shock blow in their international endeavours.
Both were selected as part of the England under-17 squad for the World Cup in Indonesia, and Lewis-Skelly started as the Three Lions faced Uzbekistan in the round of 16.
England fell behind thanks to an early goal from the side ranked 73rd in the world, but after equalising in the 35th minute, they would have been expected to go on and win to reach the quarter-finals.
However, Uzbekistan scored again in the 67th minute and held on to eliminate England from the tournament.
Arsenal starlets Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri suffer shock exit
Lewis-Skelly started in central midfield for England, with Nwaneri coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute as Arsenal’s two representatives in the squad.
Both have featured in every match of the tournament, with Lewis-Skelly starting in three out of four games, whilst Nwaneri started in one.
Lewis-Skelly finished the tournament with two assists, both of which came in a 10-0 win over New Caledonia, whilst Nwaneri also scored and assisted in the same game.
Both will now return to Arsenal following their defeat, and aim to continue their fine seasons at club academy level.
Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly’s Arsenal potential
The pair are two of the best talents within the Hale End Academy right now, and both recently signed contracts keeping them at the club.
Nwaneri is so highly rated that Mikel Arteta gave him his senior debut last year, making him the youngest Premier League player ever before nearly losing him to Premier League rivals in the summer, whilst Lewis-Skelly has also been outstanding at youth level.
The teenagers will hope that the FA Cup can provide them with an opportunity to join the matchday squad, with their youth teammates Charles Sagoe Jr and Amario Cozier-Duberry featuring on the bench in recent weeks.
Both are central midfielders, with Lewis-Skelly of a more defensive mindset and Nwaneri an advanced option.
Nwaneri has scored four times in four games in the Premier League 2 this season, whilst Lewis-Skelly has scored once and provided two assists in five matches.
The pair may not have to wait much longer for their debuts, as Arteta is well aware of the talent coming out of Jack Wilshere’s academy sides, and the pair helped reach the FA Youth Cup final last season.
Should they fulfil their potential, they could save Arsenal a lot of money in the future, if they follow the path of Bukayo Saka from Hale End to the first team, but for now it is too early to put pressure on their development.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
