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Mikel Arteta was handed a conundrum after Myles Lewis-Skelly\u2019s standout display for Arsenal in their win over Fulham on Saturday and Thierry Henry has made his choice between the Gunners academy graduate and Mart\u00edn Zubimendi ahead of their Champions League clash with Atleitco Madrid on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Arsenal are favourites to progress to the final after a 1-1 draw in the Wanda Metropolitano last week<\/strong> and few would have doubted summer signing Zubimendi\u2019s place in the team before the 3-0 win over Fulham<\/strong>.<\/p>\n But the Spaniard\u2019s excellent form for the majority of the season has dipped significantly in recent weeks<\/strong>and after Lewis-Skelly excelled in just his third Premier League start of the season and his first in defensive midfield, Arsenal hero Henry believes the \u201cdifferent\u201d teenager should be given the nod for the second leg at the Emirates.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Howe, West Ham, Lewis-Skelly, Liverpool, Dasilva, De Zerbi, Carrick<\/strong><\/p>\n Asked about how \u201cpatient\u201d Lewis-Skelly had to be, Henry said on Sky Sports\u2019 Monday Night Football: \u201cNot only that, he was ready. It\u2019s one thing to be patient. It\u2019s one thing to maybe be upset about the situation, but he was ready.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t look like he didn\u2019t play for a very long time. He controlled the game. He went forward. He bossed the game at times. That\u2019s outstanding.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not underestimate experience in this type of games, but would I like to see him in (the team) tomorrow? Obviously, yes, why not? But Mikel Arteta is the coach.<\/p>\n \u201cLike everybody, I thought Declan (Rice) was outstanding once again, but Myles (Lewis-Skelly) was just different.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t see Zubimendi do that often \u2013 the legs, anticipation, stopping someone, boom, making someone feel that you that you are there; he was there all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Henry went on to hail Lewis-Skelly after one specific phase of play in which he did \u201cwhat great players do\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cHere he turns a counter into a counter,\u201d he said. \u201cHe sees that Declan Rice is going with this player and he says \u2018I need to intercept that ball\u2019 because if that ball goes to Smith Rowe, you have a 4v4.<\/p>\n \u201cNow he intercepts the ball and the next swing (he gets Arsenal going forward). That\u2019s what great players do \u2013 you stop a counter, and you make it a counter.\u201d<\/p>\n Gary Lineker sided with Henry, claiming Arsenal were much better off without the \u201ccautious\u201d Zubimendi in the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to throw something in here because I think there\u2019s a fundamental difference between the Arsenal that we\u2019ve seen in recent weeks,\u201d Linker said on The Rest is Football podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cNo disrespect to Zubimendi, but he\u2019s a cautious player. He\u2019s a defensive midfield player and he predominantly knocks it back.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Myles Lewis-Skelly came in in a midfield position, not a left-back that\u2019s moving into midfield. His first thought is to turn and look forward and quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that really enabled Arsenal to get it forward quicker. It was a bit of a plan, they pushed the wingers higher. Saka was getting the ball in time to take someone on. I think he made a fundamental difference.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite interesting because he\u2019s a young player and we\u2019ve known him as a full-back. But in that midfield area, the way he was so positive and looking forward.<\/p>\n \u201cRice is a different player in the sense that he\u2019s probably at his best when he\u2019s running with the ball. But he\u2019s also a player that tends not to look for forward passes particularly quickly. So I think he really helped them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n