Lee Carsley praised Myles Lewis-Skelly’s “great attitude” and described Ethan Nwaneri’s loan move as a “brilliant decision” after the Arsenal pair played key roles in England Under-21s’ 4-1 win over Moldova.
Lee Carsley had warm words for two Arsenal youngsters after England Under-21s beat Moldova 4-1 in their latest European Championship qualifier, with Ethan Nwaneri scoring twice and Myles Lewis-Skelly providing an assist. The Young Lions returned to winning ways at Carrow Road through a Nwaneri double, plus goals from Archie Gray and Romain Esse, with Lewis-Skelly’s showing a dominant display.
Nwaneri was the more obvious match-winner on the scoresheet. He opened the scoring after Lewis-Skelly had a shot saved following a strong run, before adding a second later in the game. The Arsenal academy duo served as the key creative link in the win.
Carsley had made a point of highlighting the relationship between the two before the game. “I’ve seen Myles a lot in the age groups coming through, and him and Ethan, they’ve got a really good chemistry together,” he said. “They seem to be able to find each other in pockets, and they’ve been very good on and off the pitch.” Against Moldova, that chemistry was clear. Nwaneri opened the scoring after Lewis-Skelly had a shot saved, whilst the Hale end duo combined again, as Lewis-Skelly set up Nwaneri's second of the night.
![Nwaneri Celebrates his Second Goal of the Night [Action Images via Reuters]](https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/287f28e9-3ede-4842-9798-864326b29a59.jpeg)
Nwaneri Celebrates his Second Goal of the Night [Action Images via Reuters]The second theme in Carsley’s pre-match comments was Lewis-Skelly’s situation at Arsenal. “[Myles] got fast-tracked very quickly, from Arsenal straight into the senior team, and he’s found himself in a position now where he’s getting a lack of minutes at Arsenal, so it was perfect timing for him,” Carsley said. “What I can control is the minutes I give him at an international level, and for him to do two 90s in a short amount of time sets him up nicely now, going back to Arsenal.” That line carried extra relevance after the game because Lewis-Skelly again looked sharp and influential, giving Carsley exactly the kind of response he would have wanted from a player needing rhythm.
Lewis-Skelly has found minutes harder to come by this season with Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie ahead of him, and that has fed recent reports linking him with a possible move to Manchester United. Carsley’s comments, and Lewis-Skelly’s display for England Under-21s, offered a timely reminder of why he remains so highly rated and can man an impact as Arsenal look to close out the season with at least one trophy.
Nwaneri’s situation may be different, but the wider message is similar. Both youngsters return from the break with strong performances behind them and public backing from their England coach