- Arsenal beat Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final
- Myles Lewis-Skelly played the full 90 minutes and shone for the Gunners
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Jamie Carragher has heaped praise on Myles Lewis-Skelly after Arsenal‘s stunning 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
The Gunners put in a brilliant display on Tuesday against an out-of-sorts Real, with two sensational Declan Rice free-kicks and a third strike from Mikel Merino securing the victory.
Rice took the plaudits, but several Arsenal stars, including Lewis-Skelly, shone at the Emirates.
The 18-year-old, who became only the second English player aged 18 or under alongside Jude Bellingham to start a Champions League quarter-final, has enjoyed a breakout season having racked up 29 appearances in all competitions.
Lewis-Skelly has emerged as Mikel Arteta‘s preferred choice at left back over more experienced options like Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney.
And Carragher, speaking after the clash with Real, was effusive in his praise for Lewis-Skelly and how he has broken through this season.
Jamie Carragher has heaped praise on Myles Lewis-Skelly after Arsenal’s win vs Real Madrid
The left back is enjoying a breakout season with the Gunners and shone on Tuesday night
Carragher hailed Lewis-Skelly as ‘spectacular’ and ‘one of the best players in Arsenal’s team’
‘You talk about full backs and you think of sort at Liverpool with Trent they’re a little bit different,’ the Liverpool legend said on CBS Sports Golazo post-game.
‘They’re not a normal full back and you just mentioned what a young full back would be. Normally at a big club, when a young player comes through, the easiest position to come through is probably full back.
‘You (pointing at Micah Richards) did that (at Man City), I did that (at Liverpool). You bed yourself into the game. I’m not saying it’s an easy position, but you don’t have to be spectacular if you like.
‘But he’s spectacular at left back and he looks like one of the best players in the Arsenal team.
‘He’s going into central midfield and receiving the ball on the half turn. He’s got Mbappe and Vinicius Jnr either side of him, he’s taking responsibility.’
Lewis-Skelly’s form has been so impressive that he earned his maiden call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad last month.
The full-back, who was originally a midfielder in his academy days, started both games of the last international break and even scored just 20 minutes into his debut against Albania.
And Carragher went onto highlight Lewis-Skelly’s mentality and compared him to a former England great he experienced in his own career and a current star in Bellingham.
Carragher compared Lewis-Skelly’s strong mentality to that of England great Wayne Rooney
The Liverpool legend also claimed that Lewis-Skelly reminds him of Real star Jude Bellingham
‘That’s where I go back to football arrogance,’ he added. ‘And it’s not about position, it reminds me a little bit of Jude Bellingham at that age and Rooney.
‘When Wayne Rooney first came into the England squad it was almost like I’m the best player, give me the ball, no fear, you take the ball in difficult situations.
‘When we were young players it was like you wanted to get your first pass off, don’t give the ball away just want to almost build into a game.
‘But he’s got that thing like he’s 26 and been playing all of his life and he is very, very special.’
Arsenal return to action on Saturday when they take on Brentford in the Premier League before they face Real in the second leg of the quarter-final tie at the Bernabeu next Wednesday.
