Arsenal youngster hailed as one of England's best in Czechia win

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Myles Lewis-Skelly started for England again on Tuesday, lining up in midfield against Czechia and completing back-to-back starts under Thomas Tuchel.

The 20-year-old has now been trusted in consecutive international fixtures, first against Spain and then against the Czechs, with Standard Sport rating him among the best players on the pitch in the latter.

England lost a thrilling contest to Spain before recovering to beat Czechia, and Lewis-Skelly was involved in both matches from the first whistle.

From left-back to midfield

Lewis-Skelly broke into the Arsenal first team as a left-back, but since last season he has been deployed in midfield by Mikel Arteta. That switch has now carried over to the international set-up, where Tuchel has used him in the centre of the park rather than at full-back.

Facing Spain gave him the chance to test himself against elite opposition in that role, and the follow-up performance against Czechia was another controlled outing in the middle of the pitch.

The versatility is not new — he has been shuffled around before at club level — but the consistency of his selection in one position for England marks a change. Tuchel appears to view him as a midfielder first.

Club competition and tournament hopes

The question now is what happens at the Emirates. Arsenal's addition of Bruno Guimaraes has increased the competition for midfield minutes, and Lewis-Skelly will be looking to hold onto his place across the remainder of the campaign.

International football can cut both ways in that regard. Regular starts for England strengthen his case, but Arteta's selection will ultimately come down to what he sees week to week in a crowded midfield.

Lewis-Skelly missed out on England's World Cup squad, a setback for a player who had already been capped and involved in the senior set-up. These two starts represent a route back into Tuchel's thinking ahead of the next major tournament cycle.

For a player still early in his career, the trajectory is notable. He has gone from an academy left-back to an Arsenal midfielder to a back-to-back England starter in the space of roughly two seasons, and he has done it while learning a new position on the job.

The next few months at club level will determine whether that momentum holds. Arsenal's fixture schedule will provide plenty of opportunities, and Lewis-Skelly's ability to cover multiple roles gives Arteta options when rotation is required.

Tuchel will name further squads before the next tournament, and Lewis-Skelly's minutes at the Emirates between now and then will shape whether he stays in the conversation.