Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly Names Unexpected Tottenham Player as Toughest Premier League Rival
Myles Lewis-Skelly, the promising 19-year-old from Arsenal, recently surprised many by naming a Tottenham Hotspur player as his toughest adversary in the Premier League. The versatile player, who has quickly risen under manager Mikel Arteta, didn’t point to any famous star but instead singled out a less obvious rival from North London.
An Unusual Choice
Approaching his 20th birthday, Lewis-Skelly has already built an impressive career including a Premier League winner’s medal and a start in the Champions League final. With 81 senior appearances and six England caps, he has faced some of the world’s best players in both defense and midfield roles.
Despite having the chance to name any top-class attacker or midfielder, the Arsenal academy graduate highlighted Mateus Fernandes during the Portuguese midfielder’s brief time at West Ham as his toughest opponent.
High Praise for Fernandes
On the Men In Blazers podcast, Lewis-Skelly was asked about the most challenging opponent he has faced. Without hesitation, he pointed to the Tottenham player, praising his performances when Fernandes played for West Ham.
"Mateus Fernandes, when he was at West Ham," Lewis-Skelly said quickly.
The young midfielder also spoke highly of new teammate Bruno Guimaraes, the Brazil international recently signed by Arsenal. Lewis-Skelly sees Bruno as an important figure to learn from, admiring his energy and experience.
"Bruno brings energy, experience, intensity," he said. "When I heard he was joining, I was super happy because it’s someone to learn from and pick the brain of. He’s another winner and plays in a similar position to me, so I can always learn. Being a sponge to Bruno will have a big impact."
Fernandes’ Difficult Start at Spurs
While Lewis-Skelly thinks highly of Fernandes, the midfielder’s time in English football has been tough. After moving from Sporting CP in 2024, Fernandes suffered relegations with Southampton and West Ham before making an £85 million move to Tottenham last summer.
His start under coach Roberto De Zerbi has been challenging. In a recent 3-2 loss to Aston Villa, Fernandes was substituted at halftime after a disappointing showing. De Zerbi defended the decision but called for improvement from the high-profile signing.
"I have big confidence in Mateus, but I didn’t like his performance today," De Zerbi said. "He knows. It’s not an attack on him; I love Mateus. But we need more from him because he can give more, even in that position."
Midfield Battles Ahead at Arsenal
With Bruno Guimaraes now at Arsenal, Lewis-Skelly faces increased competition for game time. Though he made an impact playing left-back last season, he sees himself primarily as a central midfielder and wants to learn as much as possible from his experienced teammates to secure a permanent role in midfield.
His flexibility remains valuable to Arteta’s squad chasing silverware. Reflecting his team-first mindset, Lewis-Skelly said,
"I’m a midfielder. But at the end of the day, it’s all about what the team needs. No player is bigger than the team goal. Whatever helps the team, I’ll do it."
