Bukayo Saka is assured Myles Lewis-Skelly has a vibrant future forward of him after the 18-year-old impressed on his full Champions League debut for Arsenal.

Lewis-Skelly, who like Saka is a product of the membership’s Hale Finish Academy, was thrust into the European highlight towards Monaco on the Emirates amid Arsenal’s defensive disaster.

However the teenager seemed assured all through, and performed a key move to Gabriel Jesus for Saka to web the opening objective of his double in a 3-0 win.

Previous to Wednesday’s fixture, Lewis-Skelly had made simply two begins for the Gunners, each within the Carabao Cup, however he was handed his alternative forward of Scotland worldwide Kieran Tierney.

“His future may be very vibrant,” Saka, 23, instructed TNT Sports activities of his compatriot. “He simply must preserve the identical head that he’s acquired. His mentality is prime, he’s all the time asking questions, and seeking to study.

“I simply stated to him, like I stated to him earlier than the sport, that that is his stage. He must haven’t any doubts about his confidence, and what he’s doing in coaching. I used to be happy with him, he was a giant a part of the primary objective, and I’m so pleased with him.”

Lewis-Skelly was changed shortly after the hour mark by Jurrien Timber. Nevertheless, the defender is prone to be handed additional alternatives with Arteta combating accidents to Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who had been each unavailable for the match towards Monaco. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are additionally sidelined.

The Gunners’ complete win towards Monaco leaves them third within the 36-team league format with the highest eight assured of automated qualification by means of to the final 16.

“That (ending within the prime eight) is the objective,” stated midfielder Mikel Merino, who began alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice within the coronary heart of Arsenal’s midfield.

“It’s a must to goal for the highest locations of the desk. Proper now, we’re having an excellent season within the Champions League, and we now have to stick with it.

“We goal for the best place, clearly, with our toes on the bottom as a result of we now have to remain humble and attempt to be targeted on the issues we are able to enhance, but additionally having in thoughts that we’re a tremendous crew and we now have to be assured and continue to grow.

“I wasn’t right here final 12 months, however what I’m feeling proper now could be that the crew is a extremely mature crew. You possibly can see in some phases of the sport the place clearly you’re not going to be on prime for 90 minutes and you should have phases the place you’ll have to defend. And in these phases the place the crew shouldn’t be possibly accountable for the sport, we are able to handle.

“The gamers will not be panicking once they don’t have the management. They’re calm and composed, and that reveals maturity, too.”

Arsenal, six factors adrift of Liverpool, return to Premier League motion towards Everton on the Emirates on Saturday earlier than two matches towards Crystal Palace subsequent week – first at residence within the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, after which within the league at Selhurst Park.