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Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly needs to understand “the line is really thin” if he is to avoid his career being derailed by disciplinary issues, according to head coach Mikel Arteta.
The 18-year-old had to be substituted in the first half of Tuesday’s 7-1 mauling of PSV after picking up a yellow card in the 24th minute then shortly afterwards going in hard and late on defender Richard Ledezma.
Lewis-Skelly was highly fortunate to avoid being sent off for what would have been the third time in less than two months and left his manager with little choice but to withdraw him, with Riccardo Calafiori taking his place at left-back.
“It was quite clear that we had a liability there with the yellow card and the next action,” said Arteta. “It wasn’t the moment to take any risk.
“A lesson to learn for him for sure. We will support and help him. The line is really thin in sport and he needs to understand that.
“He’s very intelligent, he’s extremely demanding of himself. He’s a perfectionist, he’s got a great environment around him. He’s here to learn as well.”
Lewis-Skelly, who made his senior debut during the 2-2 draw with Manchester City in September, has had a highly eventful start to his Arsenal career.
As well as scoring a brilliant individual goal in the 5-1 thumping of City in the return fixture in January, he was controversially dismissed when Arsenal played Wolves at Molineux – a decision that was later overturned after his team-mates had battled to a 1-0 win.
Against West Ham in February their luck ran out, losing at home to all-but end their title hopes after Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the 73rd minute.
Arteta, who takes his side to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday, was asked what the teenager must do to take control of his disciplinary issues without losing his competitive edge.
“I think dominating the situation,” he said. “You need to dominate the space you are defending. What is the level of exposure that you have, is the opponent facing you or not facing you? What is the probability to win that ball and when you have to commit to certain duels?
“Then you have to apply defensive principles (which) are very clear. If you don’t do that at this level it’s a big problem.”
Sunday’s game will be Arteta’s 200th in the Premier League since he was appointed following the sacking of Unai Emery in December 2019.
“It’s gone fast,” he said. “Probably the number one is the day that I was sitting here on the first day, fulfilling the dream of becoming the manager of this incredible football club.
“The other night (against PSV) was up there with one of the best because of the way we did it. A trophy, when we won the first FA Cup (in 2020) after everything we went through as a club the (previous) few years, and the Covid period which was really difficult as well.”
