Arsenal look like a team with just one thing on their mind at the moment: trophies.
Mikel Arteta's side have been in imperious form in the Premier League lately, and while they are 1-0 down in their Champions League tie, you'd expect them to be able to turn that around at the Emirates.
This winning team has been built off the back of several impressive transfer windows, with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko all becoming key members of the squad.
That said, the Ukrainian has been absent for much of the recent run, and he might have to start looking over his shoulder in the future as Hale End could be about to produce his replacement.
Oleksandr Zinchenko's time at Arsenal
The Gunners signed Zinchenko from league rivals Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £32m.
Since then, he has become an important part of Arteta's team and was essential to how the side played last season, making 33 appearances at left-back, where he could invert into the midfield when the team was in possession, as evidenced by this heatmap.
While this role allowed him to flex his technical and passing abilities, it also left him somewhat exposed when defending, and there were several games in which he was unfortunately at fault for a goal, such as away to Liverpool.
That said, his ability on the ball made this a trade-off worth making, and he has maintained the same role for the majority of the season – making 27 appearances – although he has been absent for the most recent run of wins through a calf injury.
The 27-year-old's absence from the team has seen Arteta play Jakub Kiwior at left-back in a more defensive role, with Ben White taking up the role of the inverted full-back, a change which has seen the team ship just two goals in their last four league matches while scoring 18 of their own.
This tactical tweak has inevitably led to some claims that Zinchenko is the biggest loser from the Gunners' recent success, as it would appear that he is, in fact, replaceable, and while he'll likely get his place back in the team at some point this season, he could be at risk of losing it again to a Hale End gem.
Why fans should be excited about Myles Lewis-Skelly
Yes, it's 17-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who could be the youngster who eventually replaces Zinchenko in the Arsenal first team.
Now, the first thing to note is that, yes, the Islington-born gem has played most of his youth football in central and defensive midfield, but that is also where the former City man spent a lot of time before converting into a full-back in England.
Moreover, according to Arsenal academy expert Jeorge Bird, Lewis Skelly has been playing "at left-back" in recent matches, a position he has "played a few games before."
Appearances
18
16
3
Goals
1
3
0
Assists
3
6
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.22
0.56
0
The "magnificent" youngster, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also won praise from a former Arsenal wonderkid, Jack Wilshere, who has been coaching him in the U18s.
The former first-teamer described the 17-year-old as a player who can "do things you can't coach" and said he has seen "moments of brilliance when Myles drives."
Ultimately, the Hale End gem obviously has a lot more to learn about playing as a full-back and how to invert effectively.
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Still, with how he is talked about by those in the know and Arteta's proficiency in getting his full-backs to do what he wants, there is no reason why Lewis-Skelly couldn't be the future Arsenal left-back.