Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis‑Skelly has revealed that a Tottenham star is the toughest opponent he has ever faced, following a standout performance against the Gunners at the back end of last season.Tottenham Hotspur have struggled in the Premier League this season, failing to secure a victory in their opening five matches.A run of two draws and three defeats has left the Lilywhites bottom of the table, which is far from ideal given last season’s relegation battle.Tottenham needed a final‑day victory over Everton in 25-26 to secure their Premier League status, but they have failed to carry that momentum into the 2026/27 campaign, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table. Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts 15 Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace5 1 1 3 6 11 -5 4 16 Aston VillaAston Villa5 1 1 3 4 9 -5 4 17 BournemouthBournemouth5 0 3 2 6 8 -2 3 18 CoventryCoventry5 1 0 4 1 10 -9 3 19 FulhamFulham5 0 2 3 5 8 -3 2 20 TottenhamTottenham5 0 2 3 2 8 -6 2 Such a poor start makes it difficult to identify Tottenham’s standout performer, but one Arsenal midfielder believes a Spurs player is among the toughest opponents he has faced.Credit: @thefrederikkejensen / InstagramTottenham’s Mateus Fernandes named toughest opponent by Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-SkellySpeaking on the Men In Blazers YouTube channel, Arsenal versatile full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly was asked to name the most testing opponent he has faced.Weirdly, Lewis-Skelly was linked with a shock £60m move to Tottenham in the summer, which would have been a rare crossing of the North London divide.Despite coming up against several elite stars in the Premier League, Champions League and with the England national team, Lewis-Skelly surprisingly named Tottenham’s newest signing Mateus Fernandes.Fernandes was one of Spurs’ primary targets during the summer transfer window, and landing the Portuguese midfielder was far from straightforward. Tottenham had to fend off competition from Manchester United to secure his signature and bring him to north London, and Lewis-Skelly is well aware of the 21-year-old’s quality.He said: “Matheus Fernandes, when he was at West Ham.”Mateus Fernandes impressed against Arsenal but must deliver for SpursThis is not entirely surprising given how Fernandes performed when West Ham last faced Arsenal in the Premier League.The Hammers were desperate for a victory to boost their survival hopes and pushed Arsenal hard at the London Stadium. Fernandes impressed, finishing as the second-highest-rated midfielder on the pitch, behind only Declan Rice.Lewis-Skelly witnessed Fernandes’ quality first-hand, with his match statistics highlighting a complete performance:Accurate passes: 32/40 (80%)Chances created: 2Shots on target: 1Touches: 56Touches in opposition box: 1Successful dribbles: 2/2 (100%)Passes into final third: 9Line-breaking passes: 9Accurate long balls: 6/10 (60%)Defensive contributions: 9Tackles: 4Recoveries: 4Ground duels won: 7/11 (64%)Aerial duels won: 1/1 (100%)Had Fernandes converted a big chance in that match, Arsenal’s title hopes could have been dented.Tottenham spent £85 million to bring him in and will expect similar performances in north London. While he has shown glimpses of his quality, Fernandes has struggled for consistency and was substituted at half-time in the recent 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa.Mateus FernandesTottenham – Premier League (2026 – 2027)Appearances5Average Rating6.56Goals0Assists0Key Passes5Pass Accuracy (%)95.00Duels Contested23Duels Won10Stats correct as of 24 September 2026.Speaking afterwards, Roberto De Zerbi said about Fernandes’ performance: “I have a big confidence in Mateus, but I didn’t like the performance of Mateus today. Otherwise I couldn’t change. He knows. But it’s normal. It’s not an attack on Mateus, I love Mateus, it’s not a problem. But I think for Mateus, we need more from Mateus. Because he can, even in that position.”READ MORE: ‘They invested in me’ – Luka Vuskovic breaks silence on exactly why he left TottenhamThe post Myles Lewis-Skelly was linked with £60m Tottenham move, now he lauds £85m Spurs star appeared first on Spurs Web.