Haaland no longer needs to ask who Lewis-Skelly is

Myles Lewis-Skelly has officially arrived on the Premier League stage, and his performance in Arsenal’s resounding 5-1 victory over Manchester City has not gone unnoticed.

The young left-back, who also operates as a midfielder, delivered an outstanding display against the reigning English champions, capping off his performance with his first goal for the club. However, it wasn’t just his goal that made headlines it was the way he celebrated. In a bold and symbolic move, Lewis-Skelly sat cross-legged on the pitch in a meditation pose, mimicking Erling Haaland’s signature goal celebration, a gesture that sent social media into a frenzy and reignited discussions about the growing rivalry between the two players.

The brewing tension between Lewis-Skelly and Haaland is not new. The 18-year-old Arsenal prospect made his debut in the reverse fixture earlier this season, a match that saw tempers flare on multiple occasions. During one heated moment, Haaland confronted the youngster with a dismissive taunt, asking, “Who are you?” in an apparent attempt to put him in his place. That moment, once seen as an insignificant exchange, has now taken on a completely different meaning after Lewis-Skelly’s statement performance. As the BBC put it after Arsenal’s emphatic victory, "Haaland won’t have to ask that question anymore."

Lewis-Skelly didn’t just bring attitude he brought a complete performance. “Lewis-Skelly played with swagger right on the edge of arrogance the entire match,” observed Sky Sports. “But more importantly, he backed up his showmanship with an outstanding performance, proving himself on the biggest stage.” The same couldn’t be said for Haaland, whose presence was almost nonexistent throughout the game. The Norwegian striker recorded just nine touches of the ball and was openly criticized by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who accused him of “not doing enough.”

For Arsenal, Lewis-Skelly’s rise couldn’t come at a better time. The club has been investing heavily in young talent, and his rapid development is a sign that their strategy is paying off. Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott was particularly impressed by the teenager’s mentality. “His attitude really stands out. He looks older than he is. He’s not intimidated by Haaland at all. It’s like confidence runs through his veins,” Walcott commented during his analysis on Match of the Day. That unshakable self-belief was evident throughout Sunday’s game, as Arsenal dominated their title rivals, fueled by a desire to assert their superiority after years of Manchester City’s dominance in English football.

Even among football’s rising stars, Lewis-Skelly’s performance stood out as something special. In the Sky Sports studio, Jamie Carragher went as far as to compare him to some of football’s most precocious talents, such as Wayne Rooney and Jude Bellingham. “At that age how old is he again? to play like that. That kind of arrogance, like ‘just give me the ball, I’m the man here.’ You don’t see that often at his age,” Carragher remarked, underlining just how rare it is to see a teenager command such authority on the pitch against one of the strongest teams in Europe.

While his performances on the field are capturing the headlines, Lewis-Skelly’s life off the pitch remains that of a typical teenager. In a lighthearted moment, he revealed on Arsenal’s club channel that he is still working on completing his final school exams. The club itself acknowledged the remarkable duality of his situation, posting on social media: “He’s studying for his school exams while passing his Premier League test with flying colors.”

Lewis-Skelly’s emergence is just the latest chapter in Arsenal’s resurgence under Mikel Arteta. The club has shown an increasing willingness to trust its academy graduates, and the teenager’s impact against Manchester City is a testament to the value of their youth development program. While it remains to be seen just how high Lewis-Skelly’s ceiling is, one thing is certain his name is now firmly on the map.

With Arsenal continuing their title push and Lewis-Skelly growing in confidence, this may just be the beginning of a new star's journey. Whether or not he will continue to haunt Manchester City and Haaland remains to be seen, but after Sunday’s match, one thing is clear Lewis-Skelly is no longer an unknown name.