In a bittersweet moment for Arsenal, two of their brightest young stars, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, made history in the club’s 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
At just 18 years and 215 days old, Lewis-Skelly set the record for both the youngest Englishman and the youngest Premier League player to appear in a Champions League semi-final. Despite the pressure of the occasion, the talented midfielder showed impressive maturity on the pitch, receiving a 6/10 rating for his performance from GOAL. His composure stood out, particularly when many of his more experienced teammates struggled in the encounter.
However, it didn’t take long for his records to be surpassed. In the dying moments of the match, Ethan Nwaneri a close friend of Lewis-Skelly came on as a substitute at just 18 years and 39 days old. Nwaneri added to his personal record, already being the youngest-ever player to feature in the Premier League at just 15 years and 181 days old.
Despite their individual achievements, neither player was able to help Arsenal avoid defeat. The Gunners fell behind early with a superb goal by Ousmane Dembele, who scored in the fourth minute after a brilliant 27-pass move from PSG. Arsenal did manage to generate some chances, but they were unable to breach PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, except for a disallowed goal from Mikel Merino, who was ruled offside after a VAR review.
For both Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, this match marked another step in their impressive careers, though they will be disappointed by the result. With the return leg in Paris at the Parc des Princes coming up, they will be a week older, though that might not be enough to gain much more experience before such a crucial fixture. Still, both youngsters will likely be eager to contribute to what could be a landmark moment for this young Arsenal team.
