Mikel Arteta looked on with delight as one of his Arsenal stars lapped up the acclaim towards the end of the 2-1 north London derby win over Tottenham.
Leandro Trossard’s goal on the stroke of halftime proved to be the difference in an error-strewn contest.
One player to rise above the fray was Gunners teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly, who turned in his latest exemplary display at left-back.
A midfielder on his way through Arsenal’s academy, Lewis-Skelly has excelled playing at full-back to help Arteta through a weighty list of defensive injuries.
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When he was substituted late on, Lewis-Skelley followed a tussle with Spurs players at a defensive corner by whipping up the home ground, who responded vociferously. In a more reserved fashion, watching England boss Thomas Tuchel was probably similarly impressed.
“He’s 18 years old, playing against [Dejan] Kulusevski and [Brennan] Johnson in a big London derby for the first time. To perform with that composure, that attitude and that control emotionally is very rare to see,” Arteta said afterwards.
“It makes everyone at the club very proud because he has been in our system for a long time. We know the kind of education our academy is giving to our boys to get prepared.
“We have to pick them in the minute that we believe they are ready. For him, he was ready very early and in a different position because he’d never played as a fullback before.
“But he responds in a manner that’s his own, which is a joy to watch.”
Victory moved Arsenal up to second in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Liverpool having played a game more. They face another tough test at home to Aston Villa this weekend.
