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Arsenal's 18-year-old left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly was thrown into the deep end against Tottenham Hotspur, one of the Premier League's most goal-hungry teams, but the teenager passed with flying colors in an uplifting derby victory. With three senior defenders out injured, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was forced to turn to Lewis-Skelly to fill in at the back even though the player came up through the academy as a midfielder.
Arsenal were at their lowest ebb this season following back-to-back losses in the League Cup and FA Cup, and Spurs represented a serious test with Ange Postecoglou's side averaging more than two goals a game in the league. Lewis-Skelly became the second-youngest Arsenal player to feature in a league derby against Spurs but he hardly seemed overawed by the occasion.
Instead, he embraced the pressure with the club's season potentially on the line if they fell further behind. Within two minutes of kickoff, Lewis-Skelly showed his attacking capabilities when he made an interception high up the pitch, dribbled through the midfield and nearly provided an assist for Raheem Sterling, who was denied by the onrushing goalkeeper.
The left-back also had to contend with Spurs' imperious winger Dejan Kulusevski but he showed the maturity, composure and strength to deal with everything Spurs threw down his flank, and Arteta praised his 'phenomenal' performance. "It's very rare to see, 18-years-old, playing against Kulusevski and (Brennan) Johnson in a big London derby for the first time, to perform with that composure, with that attitude and control emotionally," Arteta told reporters. "He makes everybody at the club very proud. He has been in our system for a long time... With him, he was ready very early and in a different position. He has never played as a full-back before."
