Former Arsenal star Martin Keown urges Mikel Arteta to rest youngsters for PSV clash

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has advised manager Mikel Arteta to rest youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the second leg of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven.

Both academy stars have featured more prominently than expected this season, though for different reasons.

Nwaneri has been called upon due to injuries to key players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, while Lewis-Skelly has impressed since earning a spot at left-back.

In the first leg in Eindhoven, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly combined for a goal, with Arsenal eventually securing a 7-1 victory.

However, Lewis-Skelly was substituted early by Arteta, possibly fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a foul on Richy Ledezma.

With a commanding advantage going into Wednesday’s second leg, Arteta has the opportunity to rotate his squad.

While he may not make 11 changes following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United, Keown believes that giving the young players a break could be beneficial.

“Nwaneri, he’s only 17 years of age and he’s had to play so many games,” TNT Sports pundit Keown told Mirror Football.

“You want him to play and you’re sort of fast-track learning these players.

“They’ve got Lewis-Skelly the same, two great talents. I think Nwaneri, you’re getting a little bit of that inconsistency because he’s only 17, he’s not fully developed, whereas Lewis-Skelly is like a beast of a player, really strong, contact player, and he’s learning the game and getting the right balance.”

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