Lee Dixon has urged Mikel Arteta to start Myles Lewis-Skelly in central midfield for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, praising the teenager's recent performances as 'brilliant'.
Lewis-Skelly, 19, had made only two Premier League starts this season before being deployed in midfield for Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fulham in early May. Since then, he has excelled alongside Declan Rice, particularly impressing in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, helping the Gunners reach the final for the first time since 2006.
The teenager is now pushing to keep Martin Zubimendi out of the starting lineup for Saturday's blockbuster final against the defending champions. The decision rests with Arteta, but former Arsenal title winner Dixon believes Lewis-Skelly deserves the opportunity and would not be fazed by the occasion.
'I can't say I was surprised because I think I knew he could do it,' Dixon told The Athletic. '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.'
Dixon compared Lewis-Skelly's strength on the ball to 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.'
Former Arsenal full-back Nigel Winterburn echoed Dixon's thoughts, saying Lewis-Skelly's rise is no surprise. '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.'
