Gary Lineker praised Arsenal academy graduate Myles-Lewis Skelly for his midfield performance against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta started the 19-year-old ahead of Martin Zubimendi against Craven Cottage, and the left-back impressed in a 3-0 win for the north London club.
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The Spaniard came on as a 64th-minute substitute for Declan Rice, with the Arsenal boss determined to rest the England international ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
Lewis Skelly is one of the best players in the game and Lineker believes he should start ahead of Zubimendi.
“I’m going to throw something out here because I think that’s the fundamental difference between Arsenal and what we’ve seen in recent weeks,” the former striker said on the latest episode of the The Rest Is Football podcast.
“No disrespect intended to Martin Zubimendi, but he is a cautious player. He is a defensive midfielder and he is primarily a counter-attacking player. I think Miles-Lewis Skelly came on in a midfield position, not like a left-back, where his first thought was to turn and look forward and be quick, and I think that really allowed Arsenal to go forward faster.
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“Obviously it’s a plan to push the wingers higher up the pitch and Saka gets the ball in time and really plays against someone. I think it makes a fundamental difference and I think it’s interesting because he’s a young player and we know he’s a full-back but in the midfield area I think he’s so positive and pushing forward.
“Rice is a different type of player because he’s probably at his best when he’s running with the ball, but he’s also not a player who really tends to look for the forward pass particularly quickly. So, I think he does help them.”
The teenage prodigy impressed against Fulham and now gives Arteta a choice headache ahead of midweek’s clash. If the Gunners want to be cautious against Atletico, Zubimendi remains the best man for the position, but it could be a dangerous game after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.