Bukayo Saka sure Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly has bright future ahead of him

Bukayo Saka is confident Myles Lewis-Skelly has a bright future ahead of him after the 18-year-old impressed on his full Champions League debut for Arsenal.

Lewis-Skelly, who like Saka is a product of the club’s Hale End Academy, was thrust into the European spotlight against Monaco at the Emirates amid Arsenal’s defensive crisis.

But the teenager looked assured throughout, and played a key pass to Gabriel Jesus for Saka to net the opening goal of his double in a 3-0 win.

Prior to Wednesday’s fixture, Lewis-Skelly had made just two starts for the Gunners, both in the Carabao Cup, but he was handed his opportunity ahead of Scotland international Kieran Tierney.

“His future is very bright,” Saka, 23, told TNT Sports of his compatriot. “He just needs to keep the same head that he’s got. His mentality is top, he’s always asking questions, and looking to learn.

“I just said to him, like I said to him before the game, that this is his level. He needs to have no doubts about his confidence, and what he’s doing in training. I was pleased with him, he was a big part of the first goal, and I’m so proud of him.”

Lewis-Skelly was replaced shortly after the hour mark by Jurrien Timber. However, the defender is likely to be handed further opportunities with Arteta combating injuries to Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who were both unavailable for the match against Monaco. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined.

The Gunners’ comprehensive win against Monaco leaves them third in the 36-team league format with the top eight assured of automatic qualification through to the last 16.

“That (finishing in the top eight) is the goal,” said midfielder Mikel Merino, who started alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield.

“You have to aim for the top places of the table. Right now, we are having a good season in the Champions League, and we have to keep it up.

“We aim for the highest position, obviously, with our feet on the ground because we have to stay humble and try to be focused on the things we can improve, but also having in mind that we are an amazing team and we have to be confident and keep growing.

“I wasn’t here last year, but what I’m feeling right now is that the team is a really mature team. You can see in some phases of the game where obviously you’re not going to be on top for 90 minutes and you will have phases where you will have to defend. And in those phases where the team is not maybe in control of the game, we can manage.

“The players are not panicking when they don’t have the control. They are calm and composed, and that shows maturity, too.”

Arsenal, six points adrift of Liverpool, return to Premier League action against Everton at the Emirates on Saturday before two matches against Crystal Palace next week – first at home in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and then in the league at Selhurst Park.