Arsenal star had his best game yet vs Tottenham, he's completely undroppable for Mikel Arteta - opinion

Today at 01:35 AM

Myles Lewis-Skelly delivered a performance of the ages during Arsenal's North London Derby win against Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta has had to turn to Lewis-Skelly slightly earlier than he may have planned to at Arsenal this season.

Arsenal have dealt with an unruly amount of injuries at the back and 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly has been chucked into the deep end, a situation he's handled miraculously.

Were he fit, Arteta may have turned to Riccardo Calafiori against Spurs, a left-footed defender with a lot more experience at that kind of level.

However, Lewis-Skelly was needed and he delivered in Arsenal's 2-1 victory.

Myles Lewis-Skelly shines in first North London Derby start

When he's started for Arsenal of late, Arteta has more often than not seen it necessary to bring Lewis-Skelly off around 15 or 20 minutes before full-time.

The youngster is still building his fitness and readiness at this level, which is understandable given he's still so early in his senior career.

READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand delivers his verdict on Raheem Sterling's performance for Arsenal vs Tottenham

However, it was a sign of how far Lewis-Skelly has come that it almost felt like a risk taking him off, when Oleksandr Zinchenko took his place on the pitch.

Lewis-Skelly dealt with both Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson brilliantly throughout, two wingers who have been full of end product this season.

And perhaps what is most impressive about the youngster is his ability to use his body to shield the ball – he's got a William Saliba aura in that regard.

It's no exaggeration to say that Lewis-Skelly is currently undroppable for Arteta – he needs to play in Arsenal's biggest games.

Mikel Arteta still needs January additions

When everyone is fit at the back – which still seems a while away, it may be tempting for Arteta to move Jurrien Timber to the left and start Ben White on the right.

However, it would be a huge shame to lose Lewis-Skelly's talent were he to drop to the bench in the coming months, a talent who's just as ready as Ethan Nwaneri.

Say it quietly but the Hale End duo might have Bukayo Saka levels of potential, an academy that just keeps on delivering.

That being said, Arsenal still need to utilise the transfer market as well this month to help those talents mentioned.

And it was clear at the Emirates Stadium against Spurs why Arsenal are linked with Dusan Vlahovic, who seems able to leave Juventus for the right price in January.