Who are you? Erling Haaland asked Arsenal's debutant, Myles Lewis-Skellly, although in a little more colorful language, after John Stones had taken a drab spot for Manchester City in Etihad in September.
The whole world knows who Lewis-Skellly is now. After the 18-year-old scored Arsenal's third goal in his 5-1 defeat of the city in the Emirates on Sunday, he became Haalandia meditation.
However, what the circus has eclipsed is the speed with which the full back has been established as one of the best artists of the Premier League, one that will be crucial for Mikel Arteta if the gunners must pursue Liverpool in their search to The Premier League. qualification.
What is, then, that makes Lewis-Skelly so special?
Erling Haaland, on the right, questioned who debutant Myles Lewis-Skellly returned in September
Lewis-Skelly copied Haaland after a network against Man City on the weekend
Reliable Arsenal MR
During the last months, Arteta has started Lewis-Skelly, a central midfielder who carries the ball, as a complete inverted back that gets into when the arsenal has the ball so they can attack in their favored formation of 3-2-5. Oleksandr Zinchenko did it before him for Arsenal, Trent Alexander-Arnold has done it for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, Rico Lewis for Manchester City.
The manager of Los Artesanes, Arteta likes to build from behind, so he needs players who can keep the ball. Lewis-Skelly is thriving because no one in the division is currently so good to do so.
From his first league he begins in December, no player with at least 400 minutes of action has a higher pass success rate than the amazing 96 percent of the adolescent. He has played 250 passes and completed 240 of them.
He directs the division by the success rate of the pass in his own half and in the opposition.
Only two players, including Virgil Van Dijk, earn a higher percentage of their duels than Lewis-Skelly, with Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle and the star of Brighton, Georgininio, the only one who won the only most fouls per game.
At that time, no Arsenal player who has played at least 400 minutes has lost possession less times. No arsenal player has won more duels, or a higher percentage of them. No Gunners player has won more offenses.
No player has been dripped less, he has not yet made anyone gone through him, and the only reason why any of his teammates has completed a higher percentage of his dribbles that Lewis-Skelly is because Gabriel tried Once and took it off.
When the young man carries the ball, no one can expel it. In addition to the celebration of Nick Haaland, there were frequent occasions when the 6 -foot and 5 -inch striker challenged him through the ball and simply came out.
Again, he is 18 years old.
Lewis-Skelly, on the right, has already become a reliable part of Mikel Arteta side at the age of 18
When he carries with the ball forward, few players have been able to tear down Lewis-Skelly.
Bring the balance
If you look at the passes that Lewis-Skelly has made since its first start, most of them are in the middle of the opposition in the left channel. This has been, for too long, the weak point in the Arsenal attack.
Mail Sport's analysis at the beginning of December showed how Arsenal depended too much on its right flank to create opportunities, generally through Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
The Gunners became too predictable, but Lewis-Skelly has intervened to restore balance to the side.
Before their first start, only 23 percent of Arsenal's possibilities fell along the left flank, compared to almost half of the right. With Lewis-Skelly on the side, that has jumped at 36 percent.
Saka's injury has also impacted that, but Lewis-Skelly's ability to keep the ball and maintain its defensive shape has been a great impulse for Arteta.
Lewis-Skelly has provided a balance to Arsenal, setting its weakness to the left
Allows the rice to roam
It is not that it is the creative spark of Arsenal. In the ball, Lewis-Skelly is not the most daring. Only seven of those 240 passes completed in the league have been among the lines, those that divide the defensive structure or in the midfield of the opponent. Only five of his passes have been in the box. Only three have created opportunities for their teammates.
However, its ability and positioning allow Declan rice to make more runs in dangerous areas from the center of the field without fearing how much space could leave if the arsenal loses the ball.
Rice created four opportunities against City, the second time she has done so in the last five games. He only did it once in the previous 18 games of this term.
In two of his last three league outings, Rice has played at least nine passes in the box. He only succeeded in a game throughout the season before that.
For Arsenal's third goal against Man City, Lewis-Skelly pushed beyond Rice to receive the ball
Lewis-Skelly pushed the five strikers and ended the opportunity to give arsenal daytime light
The Arsenal game plan in the Emirates was to aim at the right flank of the city, since Lewis-Skelly turned with rice and Leandro Trosssard, if we can borrow a phrase, humble Pep Guardiola and his team.
For the third goal of the Gunners, Lewis-Skellly pushed beyond the rice towards the Front of the Arsenal before receiving the ball, finishing the opportunity and causing all the fans of the city worldwide.
At this time, Haaland's infamous answer is that Lewis-Skelly is the man who copied his celebration.
Very soon, they will know it for a damn view more than that.