Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly dazzled on his England debut as he scored the opening goal in Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Albania.
The Gunners academy graduate has had a season to remember in wake of his exhilarating breakthrough for club and country.
Lewis-Skelly began the season as an exciting prospect and, with two months of the campaign left, he’s a regular starter for Arsenal and a goalscoring debutant for England.
Thomas Tuchel handed the Hale End graduate his first Three Lions call-up this month before starting him in the World Cup qualifier against Albania.
And within the first 20 minutes, Lewis-Skelly got England up and running with the opening goal of the game, slotting home from Jude Bellingham’s through-ball.
Here’s what a number of English media outlets said about Lewis-Skelly’s debut.
Praise and 8s all round for Myles Lewis-Skelly
First up is BBC Sport, who gave Lewis-Skelly a rating of 8 out of 10 for how he performed against Albania.
“A full England debut caps an amazing breakthrough season for the Arsenal defender,” they wrote.
“He was tasked, like he is for his club, with stepping into midfield but also ran on the outside at times too.
“His goal means the 18-year-old is the youngest player to score on his senior England debut.”
Likewise, The Telegraph awarded an 8 out of 10 to the Arsenal gem.
“Wonderful finish in the 20th minute through the legs of Strakosha, reward for his positive running from left-back,” they wrote.
The Daily Mail continued with the high scoring by giving Lewis-Skelly an 8 out of 10 for his efforts on the night.
“What an outstanding footballer,” they wrote. “Had to rub your eyes when he scored to make sure it was not Kane, such was the prolific nature of the finish.”
Rounding off a series of 8s all round is The Express, who wrote: “Marked a dream debut with the opening goal, to establish himself as a genuine superstar in the making.”
England legend Rio Ferdinand was buzzing with Lewis-Skelly’s debut goal, singing his praises on social media.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s stats against Albania
It almost didn’t feel like Lewis-Skelly was an 18-year-old making his debut at international level for one of the world’s big national sides, such was his quality and composure.
Aside from his goal, Lewis-Skelly was also combative, winning all three of his ground duels, got plenty of touches on the ball, and was accurate in his passing.
| Myles Lewis-Skelly stats v Albania | |
| Minutes played | 89′ |
| Goals | 1 |
| Ground duels (won) | 3 (3) |
| Touches | 87 |
| Accurate passes | 69/74 (93%) |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Dribble attempts (succ.) | 1 (1) |
Lewis-Skelly will have tougher tests than Albania, but considering he’s holding his own against the best in the Premier League and Champions League, he’ll no doubt be confident of his chances against the World Cup’s biggest and best.
