Lee Dixon said he would put faith in Myles Lewis-Skelly and start the Arsenal teenager in central midfield for the Champions League final against PSG.
Lewis-Skelly had made just two Premier League starts all season until he was thrown into central midfield for Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Fulham at the start of May.
But the 19-year-old rose to the challenge and has gone on to excel in the middle of the park alongside Declan Rice down the closing stretch of the season.
The teenager was particularly impressive in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid as the Gunners reached the tournament’s final for the first time since 2006.
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And Lewis-Skelly is now pushing to keep Martin Zubimendi out of the starting lineup once again for Saturday’s blockbuster final against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
That decision ultimately rests with Mikel Arteta, but former Gunners title winner Dixon believes Lewis-Skelly would be deserving of the opportunity and unfazed by the pressure.
‘I can’t say I was surprised because I think I knew he could do it,’ Dixon told The Athletic when asked about Lewis-Skelly’s recent form in midfield.
‘I think it was an opportunity born out of Mikel needing something, and he got it in bucketloads. I thought Myles was brilliant. His control, his awareness of players around him — he was my man of the match, and possibly in both games.
‘It’s a big call (who to start in the Champions League final). But I’d probably play Myles. I think he’s already shown enough not to be fazed by that.’
And Dixon went further in his praise for the teenager, even comparing Lewis-Skelly’s unassuming strength on the ball to that of England great Paul Gascoigne.
‘I’ve watched Myles a lot — he’s very Gazza-like in the way that he uses his weight and his strength,’ Dixon added.
‘He almost allows players to catch up with him. He’ll go past them and then he slows down a little bit. Gazza used to do that so that when they come in and make contact again, he bounces them off him.
‘Myles will win free kicks by doing that and he will also get himself in positions higher up the pitch, so it’s a brilliant skill to have.’
Who will Mikel Arteta start in the Champions League final?
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Myles Lewis-Skelly
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Martin Zubimendi
And echoing Dixon’s thoughts is fellow former Gunners full-back Nigel Winterburn, who said Lewis-Skelly’s rise to prominence in midfield is no surprise for those who have been watching long enough.
‘I’ve been a little surprised that Lewis-Skelly hadn’t got his chance in central midfield before,’ Winterburn told Metro via BetGoodwin.
‘I was super excited when he was picked for the Wigan game in the FA Cup that position, but Calafiori then got injured before the game and he had to go back to full-back.
‘I’ve watched him come through at the youth level, and central midfield is his position. He carries the ball, he delivers the ball, and he’s usually so powerful when he’s moving with the ball.’
‘Would I be surprised if Myles Lewis-Skelly starts in the Champions League final in central midfield? No, I wouldn’t be.
‘Trying to prejudge what Mikel Arteta will do is tricky, we’ve already seen that occasionally he throws in a little bit of a curveball, because I don’t think many people saw Myles Lewis-Skelly coming into that midfield role a few weeks ago.
‘You’re playing against a team in top, top form, Champions League final, but the way I look at him, I think he can cope with that all day long.’
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