Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:
š“ The birth of a new star at Arsenal?
š„ Savinho usurping De Bruyne at Man City?
š A player to watch this weekend
Lewis-Skelly’s brilliant breakthrough
The tension was thick inside the Emirates Stadium in the closing stages of Arsenal’s win over Tottenham on Wednesday but Myles Lewis-Skelly did not feel it. Even after the melee that preceded his withdrawal, and with several minutes still to play, the coolest player on the pitch could be seen laughing as he left it.
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Paul Merson reflects on Arsenal’s win over Spurs and says their FA Cup exit may be a blessing
It was quite a spectacle. As Arsenal prepared to defend a Spurs corner, Lewis-Skelly, their youngest player to start a Premier League north London derby since Cesc Fabregas in 2005, was throwing up his arms to the crowd, revelling in the occasion.
Maybe he knew it was done. He is wired differently, after all. “It’s like he was built in a lab,” said Declan Rice recently. It might be the best explanation for how this academy midfielder-turned-left-back can look so serenely comfortable so early in his senior career.
As recently as a month ago, he had only started one first-team game, a Carabao Cup win over Bolton Wanderers in October. Now, he looks like Arsenal’s best option in a position in which they are stacked with experienced alternatives. An England call-up surely beckons.
His performance against Spurs, watched by Thomas Tuchel, was just the latest in which he has demonstrated outstanding technical skill and composure. Remarkably, he has the highest passing accuracy rate in the Premier League this season at 96.1 per cent.
Lewis-Skelly ranks top in the Premier League for pass accuracy
That list is dominated by centre-backs, who typically get more time to pick their passes. Lewis-Skelly, by contrast, is often operating in midfield, where he is hounded and harried by opponents. They are quickly finding out that you press him at your peril.
He is not just playing it simple either. With only his second touch against Spurs, the 18-year-old could be seen driving towards the box and sliding Raheem Sterling in on goal. He excels at threading balls through the lines and relishes the chance to join attacks.
Lewis-Skelly is playing as an inverted left-back, stepping into midfield in possession
Most impressive, though, is that is showing defensive qualities to match. On Wednesday night, Lewis-Skelly was up against Dejan Kulusevski in the first half and Brennan Johnson in the second but was not dribbled past once. In fact, according to Opta, he is yet to be dribbled past this season in the Premier League.
His strength in duels stands out. As with passing accuracy, Lewis-Skelly ranks top among Premier League players for duel success this season on 72.2 per cent, putting him ahead of some distinguished names in Liverpool duo Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and Manchester City’s John Stones.
Lewis-Skelly also ranks top in the Premier League for duel success
The meeting with Spurs was not the first in which he has shown he can handle himself physically. In last month’s win over Ipswich, a string of players, including Liam Delap and Kalvin Phillips, could be seen trying to shake him up without success. “Never afraid of no one,” he shrugged in a television interview with Ian Wright.
It is still early, of course. Lewis-Skelly has only played 332 minutes in the Premier League. But it was clear from the moment he came into the team that he was ready to step up. And it is clear now, a month on, with Arsenal’s title hopes reinvigorated, that he is there to stay.
Saturday 18th January 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
Savinho becomes Haaland’s main provider
Manchester City are taking major steps towards refreshing their attack. Erling Haaland’s extraordinary nine-and-a-half-year contract will be followed by the arrival of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt. Savinho is in line for a big role too.
Pep Guardiola’s excitement about the Brazil international has been apparent since his very first appearance, in the Community Shield win over Manchester United in August. “I think when playing left, he will help Erling score goals,” Guardiola told reporters afterwards.
His prediction about helping Haaland has proved accurate. Savinho has overtaken Kevin De Bruyne as his main provider this season, laying on four goals for him in the Premier League. It is the second-highest total between two players in the division.
It is only recently, though, having started the season playing mostly on the right, that Savinho’s assists have started to flow from the left. Three of them came from that side in the wins over Leicester and West Ham. From the same position, he also played a key role in both of Phil Foden’s goals in the draw with Brentford.
Savinho has been used on both flanks this season
Guardiola raved about Savinho’s ability to “attack the byline” as an “old-fashioned winger” when playing on the left in August. It is surprising it has taken him this long for him to use him there consistently. But Savinho has offered creativity from both flanks.
Sunday 19th January 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
While his overall total of five assists seems modest, the underlying data highlights the quality of the chances he is creating. His average of 0.37 open-play expected assists per 90 minutes is the highest by any Premier League player this season – including De Bruyne.
Savinho is top in the Premier League for open-play expected assists per 90 minutes
Those numbers reflect the statistical likelihood of chances leading to goals. Given actual assists rely on the finishing of other players, they are worth paying attention to when it comes to measuring the true quality of a player’s creative output.
They tell us, unambiguously, that Savinho is already doing his part. Manchester City will hope his relationship with the newly signed-up Haaland continues to bear fruit in the years ahead.
Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on
Chelsea’s signing of Pedro Neto was rated as one of the standout deals of the summer but six months on, the winger faces former club Wolves on Monday Night Football having only scored one goal and provided two assists in the Premier League. Could he give his Stamford Bridge career lift-off against his old side?
Live Radar: What’s on Sky this weekend?
Arsenal host Aston Villa for the Saturday Night Football fixture, with coverage starting on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm ahead of the 5.30pm kick-off.
Super Sunday sees Everton and Tottenham go head to head in the early game, kicking off at 2pm, with Ipswich taking on Manchester City in the later kick-off at 4.30pm. Coverage of that double-header begins on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event at 1pm.
On Monday Night Football, join David Jones and Jamie Carragher as Chelsea host Vitor Pereira’s Wolves, kicking off at 8pm.
Read the last Radar column
The Radar had the week off for the FA Cup third round but, before that, a focus on Manchester United’s clash with Liverpool proved prophetic as Lisandro Martinez and Manuel Ugarte played key roles in securing a point for Ruben Amorim’s side.
