Mikel Arteta reveals message to Myles Lewis-Skelly over discipline after ‘lucky’ escape | Football

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has spoken with Myles Lewis-Skelly over his worrying ill-discipline, as the teenager is already developing a reputation for being shown cards.

The 18-year-old was sent off in his last Premier League outing, against West Ham last month, and was lucky to avoid the same fate against PSV this week.

The Champions League clash in Eindhoven went brilliantly for the Gunners as they came home with a 7-1 win, but it could have been different if Lewis-Skelly had not narrowly avoided being dismissed.

After picking up an early booking the teenager made a lunging, late tackle soon after and the referee was generous not to get a red card out of his pocket.

Realising how close the full-back had come to being sent off, Arteta substituted him after just 35 minutes of the game.

Lewis-Skelly was also shown a straight red card against Wolves in January, but that was later rescinded as it was deemed an obvious error by the referee.

He showed that he had something of a talent for bookings earlier in the season, though, being shown a yellow against Man City as a substitute before he had even made his Premier League debut.

His disciplinary record is not that bad, with two yellow cards and one red in 12 Premier League outings this season, but Arteta has moved to address the problem before it gets any worse.

On having a talk with the teenager, Arteta told a press conference: ‘It was today that I did that. When the dust has settled, and [we can] talk openly.

‘What can we learn from that situation? How can we expose the team? What are the things that we have to try to avoid without losing his essence?

‘And that’s what we have to do – understand where that line is. Because he is a superb player. He has attitude, he has courage…what he transmits.

‘Certainly we have to maintain that. And just understanding the risk and rewards. What part of the pitch you are in and when you have to bet certain things that can give you big rewards and, sometimes guys, stay away from that bet, because it is not good for us.’

Arteta made it clear that Lewis-Skelly is not alone in learning how to navigate a minefield of decisions on the pitch but he should take the opportunity to learn after a lucky escape rather than after a painful mistake.

‘It happens with the senior ones as well! A lot!’ Arteta said. ‘Depending on the part of the pitch that you play. Those ones when you make that mistake and you mistime it, the consequences are terrible.

‘From the front players, it happens the same…it’s for everybody. We are in a constant learning process.

‘That one, you have to be lucky. Because to learn when you’ve won, that is much better. Believe me! [It is much better] for your confidence and as well for how your team and your colleagues perceive you, so he was lucky on that.’

Arsenal go to Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday and will have Lewis-Skelly available after he served his suspension for the red card against West Ham in the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.

Arteta will remain without his long-term injury absentees: Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

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