Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly had an eventful outing at the Etihad as he made his Premier League debut against Manchester City.
Having been at Arsenal since the age of nine, Lewis-Skelly was finally given the chance to impress for the first time in the Premier League.
The 17-year-old was named on the bench for the Gunners’ league clashes against both Brighton and Tottenham, with the same happening in the blockbuster draw against City.
When the stakes couldn’t be higher at the Etihad Stadium, Mikel Arteta made the decision to welcome the teenager to the Premier League as Lewis-Skelly earned his debut.
Why Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked against Man City
It was a debut to remember for Lewis-Skelly as the midfielder was trusted in a game as well-contested as City against Arsenal.
Added to the pressures of the early thoughts of the Premier League title race, the Gunners played with 10 men for the entire second half, reinforcing how much faith Arteta has in Lewis-Skelly.
While the teenager was introduced in the dying embers, he made the headlines before he even came on the pitch as the Hale End product was shown a yellow card before making his debut.
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Michael Oliver went over to the bench to book Lewis-Skelly, for reasons that have now been clarified, via the Daily Mail.
It’s understood that the 17-year-old was spotted walking ‘behind David Raya’s goal line’ as he warmed up just after the hour mark.
Shortly after Lewis-Skelly exchanged words with the Arsenal ‘keeper, Raya went down to buy some time, which resulted in Oliver booking the teen for ‘unsporting behaviour’.
The midfielder was caught out for relaying a message to Raya, with a lot of spirit shown by the academy jewel during the game, as he even got under Erling Haaland’s skin to see the striker make a throwaway comment at the debutant.
Lewis-Skelly sets Premier League record on debut
In his eight minute cameo, Lewis-Skelly made two touches on the ball and completed one pass, with most of the talk coming from his antics before he stepped foot on the pitch.
The 17-year-old set an unwanted, but humorous, Premier League record to become the first player to receive a yellow card before making his league debut.
It was an extraordinary circumstance in a game that was full of surprises and controversy, with the most important take being that Lewis-Skelly’s Premier League career has officially begun.
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