Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly has enjoyed a fruitful start to the 2026/27 season, making a significant impact for both club and country.
For Mikel Arteta’s side, the 20-year-old has started four out of five Premier League matches in midfield. This is a big contrast to his previous struggles for meaningful game time during the 2024/25 campaign, when he was used primarily at left-back and fell down the pecking order behind Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie.
Recently, Lewis-Skelly featured for England under Thomas Tuchel during the international break, heavily impressing the manager.
Lewis-Skelly earns recall to England squad and impresses
Before starting against the world champions, Spain, in the 3-2 Nations League loss, Lewis-Skelly last featured for the Three Lions on 14 October 2025. That marks almost a year since being frozen out of Thomas Tuchel’s side and missing out on the World Cup squad.
However, an introspection into the side’s failures to reach the World Cup final, alongside some key injuries, including teammate Declan Rice, earned a recall for the Arsenal man. Judging by his recent performances in an England shirt, he may well have secured a long-term place.
His display also caught the eye of former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer said: “I know he [Lewis-Skelly] played in midfield last season, but his rise this season to go into Arsenal and into England’s midfield has been remarkable.”
Co-host Gary Lineker echoed those thoughts, praising Lewis-Skelly’s adaptability:
“It’s funny because you’ve got Nico O’Reilly who is really a midfield player turned left-back and you’ve got Lewis-Skelly who is a full-back and seems to have turned into a midfield player.
“Obviously when they grow up nowadays, they kind of play everywhere, all these positions, so it’s really good for them. But they’re two exceptional footballers. I think he’s done really well in that midfield role filling the boots of Declan Rice.”
Is this a sustainable push in defensive midfield?
The competition that Lewis-Skelly has in his position is quite daunting for any footballer. At club level, he has pipped the likes of Martin Zubimendi and new signing Bruno Guimaraes to the starting line-up next to Rice.
His continued brilliance for Arsenal despite the competition shows that he can remain Arteta’s secret weapon, deployable as either a defender or a midfielder depending on what’s needed for any scenario.
Now at the international level, he started alongside Elliot Anderson in a midfield two. However, there is stiff competition from the City man in a ‘normal’ scenario where Tuchel plays a midfield three, with Anderson at the base and Kobbie Mainoo in waiting.
Part of Lewis-Skelly’s impressive run stems from simply being available when opportunities arise, but the main factor has been his composure when called upon. His ability to operate comfortably in both defence and midfield significantly strengthens his case. At this stage of his career, every minute on the pitch provides invaluable experience for an undeniably talented player.