Ian Wright hits out at pundits targeting Myles Lewis-Skelly | OneFootball

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has called out the media for its treatment of Myles Lewis-Skelly following his goal celebration against Manchester City.

A wider issue is emerging once again.

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Ian Wright has launched a fierce defence of Myles Lewis-Skelly, condemning the media’s treatment of the 18-year-old Arsenal midfielder after his goal celebration against Manchester City.

Instead of celebrating a breakthrough performance in a 5-1 demolition of the Premier League champions, the discussion has fixated on Lewis-Skelly’s decision to mimic Erling Haaland’s meditation pose—a pointed response to the striker’s previous dismissal of him earlier in the season.

“We need to protect Myles Lewis-Skelly at all costs,” Wright declared on social media. “British media have found their new target and are already taking aim. Instead of hailing up this 18-year-old’s impressive breakout season so far, his celebration in response to Haaland has become a point of contention.”

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The backlash has been swift and widespread. Jamie Carragher disapproved of the celebration, saying, “I didn’t like this because he’s a young player mimicking Haaland, taking the mick.” Gary Neville went further, branding it “disrespectful,” suggesting that a player of Lewis-Skelly’s age should not be engaging in such antics.

Yet for Wright, this is not just about a goal celebration—it is about a wider issue embedded in English football. “The reaction this has caused shows this runs deeper than light-hearted cheekiness,” he continued. “In a recent talkSPORT show, Jason Cundy insinuated Myles could have his leg broken like Haaland’s father. What is branded as sh*thousery for some is seen as arrogance for another.”

For Lewis-Skelly, the celebration was a direct response to Haaland’s own behaviour in a fiery 2-2 draw earlier in the season, during which the Manchester City striker threw the ball at Gabriel‘s head, told Mikel Arteta to “stay humble,” and asked Lewis-Skelly, “Who the f* are you?”

Image via Arsenal.com

That moment now serves as the backdrop to the wider media scrutiny he faces.

“The talk around Myles’ name is entering dangerous territory,” Wright warned. “The sight of a young, confident, charismatic Black man thriving on the biggest stage does not fit the mould of what they envision.”

It is a pattern that has played out before. Wright recalled how Paul Pogba, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford have all faced similar attacks from sections of the press. Bellingham endured a media-driven backlash at Euro 2024, Rashford has seen his character questioned relentlessly recently, and Pogba’s career in England was shaped as much by criticism off the pitch as his ability on it.

“Many people in England have an issue with confident Black men in all spaces. The second you become bigger than you initially were, you become threatening and must be minimised,” Wright stated. “It is an active dimming of their light. But real stars will always shine bright in the midst of darkness. The undertones in their messages will not outweigh the achievements. MLS is just getting started. And those who support him must remain as loud as his detractors. The story of our future greats must be told correctly by those who genuinely care for them.”

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Beyond the pundits, the Premier League has now issued a warning about mockery celebrations, suggesting that players may face punishment if their actions are deemed to cross a certain line.

The move comes in the wake of Lewis-Skelly’s celebration, of course, and follows similar incidents involving Jamie Vardy and Neal Maupay, both of whom have antagonised opponents in the past without facing the same level of scrutiny.

For Wright, the response to Lewis-Skelly is not just unfair—it is predictable. The Arsenal teenager’s rise has been met with the kind of hostility reserved for young Black players who show personality, confidence, and defiance. While his celebration may have been seen as audacious, the intensity of the reaction exposes the deeper prejudices that persist in English football discourse.