MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY made history on his Premier League debut – for all the wrong reasons.
The Arsenal starlet was booked 27 minutes BEFORE making his professional bow in the 2-2 draw with Man City.
Lewis-Skelly is one of the Gunners’ most promising young stars and has been with the club since the age of eight.
The 17-year-old entered the fray in the 92nd minute of Sunday’s game, tasked with helping ten-man Arsenal defend a slender 2-1 lead.
In a bizarre twist, the youngster made Premier League history before his number was even called by boss Mikel Arteta.
Lewis-Skelly was yellow carded by referee Michael Oliver on 65 minutes, almost half an hour before he entered the field.
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According to the Daily Mail, Lewis-Skelly went in the book due to the Gunners’ use of the “dark arts.”
The report cites the PGMOL, who revealed the midfielder was cautioned for “showing a lack of respect for the game”.
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Following Leandro Trossard’s first-half red card, Arsenal retreated into a low block to frustrate the hosts.
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Ref Oliver spotted Lewis-Skelly walking behind David Raya’s goal just after the hour mark.
The youngster communicated with the Gunners stopper, with Raya falling to the floor shortly after and calling for the physios.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville claimed on commentary: “There is no doubt that is a tactic.”
Lewis-Skelly returned to his fellow Arsenal substitutes but was immediately singled out by Oliver, who brandished the card.
We thought games like this had been lost
SunSport’s NEIL CUSTIS hails chaotic Man City vs Arsenal clash as a return to the Premier League of yesteryear.
FOR two teams who have done so much to take the game forward this really was a tremendous throwback.
We thought these games had been lost.
Real feisty encounters between two rivals fighting for the top honours.
How we used to love it when Manchester United came up against Arsenal when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were in charge.
When Roy Keane, watching on as a TV pundit here, used to clash with Patrick Vieira before a ball had been kicked.
The Manchester derbies used to have it as well.
In fact that were clashes everywhere throughout the league.
Since then the emphasis on the beauty of the game, the tactical side, the ball playing centre-back, the false nine, the inverted full-backs have all come to the fore.
But English football still loves something like this.
Compare this to the two matches between this pair last season not least the really STALEmate here.
Then along comes a blood and thunder classic.
A match to set the tone for what we all hope will be a real title tussle to the end but with that added edge.
While these two managers maybe good friends who knows we may even get the niggly comments in pre-match press conferences about each others teams.
We knew we were in for something a bit different as straight from the kick-off Kai Havertz charged into Rodri and left him flawed.
The first players’ melee ensued.
Foreign coaches often scratch their heads as to why English crowds love stuff like this.
Love a thumping tackle, or a bit of a barney.
How that as much as any sweeping move gets them to the edge of their seats and there was plenty of that here.
Jurrien Timber was employed on the right to combat the pace of Jeremy Doku.
SO Doku just charged into him and floored him.
Rodri was clearly seen as one of City’s key men so at a corner Thoams Party followed up Havertz’s early example and caught him behind the knee, and the player hobbled out of the action.
Gabriel and Erling Haaland was a classic battle between a big centre-forward and an Arsenal centre-back who performs like greats of old like Tony Adams and Martin Keown.
A player for whom a thumping tackle warrants the same high fives or celebrations as something defining at the other end of the pitch.
Haaland did brilliantly to pull away William Saliba and slip behind Gabriel for his goal.
Gabriel will have been fuming having kept the big Norwegian so quiet last season.
He barely gave him another sniff of goal, barring a second-half header saved, as he stuck to him, the pair often pushing and shoving one another as Haaland became frustrated with his shadow.
Leandro Trossard did not get his second yellow and therefore the only red for the actual barge on Bernardo as everyone first thought but for kicking the ball away after that.
Both technical areas were a flurry of arm waving and shouting from the two managers.
The staff on the two benches started having a go at each other and Guardiola had to intervene.
In the press box one of Arsenal’s technical staff was losing it.
As Arsenal players went down with cramp and played for time the boos went up.
The fourth official was getting in the ear.
Michael Oliver was being told he was not fit to referee by a large section of the home support.
When Arsenal fans were spotted in the posh seats having been in the expensive tunnel club City fans shouted and pointed to try and get them ejected.
Right at the end after City’s dramatic equaliser and the game restarted Haaland barged into Partey and every player on the pitch got involved even the two goalkeepers.
At the final whistle the ref was harrangued.
On the touchline Guardiola and Arteta hugged.
City boss Guardiola fumed after the dramatic draw: “I don’t know how many [Arsenal] players went down with cramp.
“But that can of course happen in a demanding game.
“Maybe I would have done the same because it is with ten men.
“You have to ask Mikel [Arteta] what the tactic was.”
Arsenal ratings vs Man City
TEN-MAN Arsenal came desperately close to beating Man City.
Unfortunately for Mikel Arteta’s men, John Stones popped up in the 98th minute to score an equaliser with the match ending 2-2.
Here’s how the players rated…
DAVID RAYA – 9
Well beaten for Haaland’s opener but continued his impressive start to the season with some super second half stops – notably from Haaland and Gvardiol.
RICARDO CALAFIORI – 8
A full debut the Italian won’t forget. Didn’t get close enough to Savinho for the opening goal but made amends with his stunning long range curler to level it.
GABRIEL – 9
Planted one header over but made no mistake with his second one just before the break to score for the second straight weekend.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 8
Clattered by Haaland early on and lost the Norwegian for City’s goal – but dusted himself down and led the rearguard action for the visitors superbly.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 8
Asked to play an unfamiliar role on the right but did a great job for his boss keeping the livewire Doku quiet – and did fine when Pep changed it around too.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7
Caused Walker plenty of problems in the first half. Played the ball back for Calafiori to score and teed up another great chance for Trossard.
DECLAN RICE – 7
Helped Arsenal work their way back into the game after early onslaught – and protected the back four so well when City were camped on the edge of the box.
THOMAS PARTEY – 7
Quick thinking from free-kick led to equaliser – also involved in the collision with Rodri that changed the course of the game.
BUKAYO SAKA – 6
Always a threat with his corners – not least when Arsenal got their second. Subbed at the break to make way for an extra defender.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4
Steered good chance over. Booked for pulling back Savinho then a second yellow for barge on Silva and then delaying the restart. Stupid from the Belgian.
KAI HAVERTZ – 7
Early collision with Rodri and caused a few problems in the first half but then had to focus on helping his 10 man team out defensively.
SUBS
WHITE – 7
(For Saka 46) – Thrown on to shore up the defence at the break – and did exactly that.
KIWIOR – 6
(For Calafiori 74 )– Gave the Italian a rest for the final few minutes and kept it tight.
JESUS – 6
(For Martinelli 87) – Some good pressing against his old team in the closing minutes
LEWIS SKELLY – 6
(For Timber 90) – Good experience for the youngster but was bizarrely booked before even coming on for his debut.
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John Stones equalised for City with almost the last kick of the game.
Pep Guardiola’s men had been left frustrated by a stubborn Gunners backline and heroics in goal from Raya.
Tempers boiled over in the aftermath, with Erling Haaland seen arguing with ex-City star Gabriel Jesus.
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Haaland – who bagged his 100th City goal to open the scoring – was also spotted exchanging words with Arteta.
He appeared to say: “Say humble”, prompting an icy stare from the Gunners boss.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
