Before the game last night, there was plenty of debate and uncertainty around the midfield trio Eddie Howe would select.
Would the boss stick with his established midfield trio, or would we see changes? It was the latter, as Lewis Miley came in for Sandro Tonali, with Jacob Ramsey replacing Joelinton.
And it was Miley in particular who impressed, delivering a classy and composed display at the base of our midfield and perhaps the youngster’s best individual performance since his breakout displays during the 2023/24 season.
He kept the ball moving, mopped up with minimal fuss and allowed Bruno Guimaraes to be at his creative best, with Howe full off praise for the 19-year-old showing composure and intelligence beyond his years.
“Top performance from Lewi. I think so much goes into him giving that performance. It’s the ability to absorb all of the hype and the pressure of the game, but just deliver what he needed do.
“He’s got that unique ability, and he had it from his very first game, just to be his normal self and not be phased by anything. I thought it was an outstanding performance in a game where he was working with minimal space. It was quite tight in the middle of the pitch.
“Very intelligent. He worked well with Bruno. Those two were combining well together. A great performance from Lewi.”
Discussing Miley in more depth, Howe hailed his all-round skillset and revealed what a huge boost last night was towards his future minutes, insisting displays like that go a long way towards securing more starts:
“He needs game time, and to play and develop, which is clear for any young player. But he has to deserve that, and I won’t just give it to him. So nights like tonight will help him immensely to get that.
“For me, Lewi has got all the attributes to be whatever he wants to be in various roles. He can play holding like he did today, or higher up the pitch.
“He is capable of doing a little bit of everything. His composure and presence on the pitch, you can feel. His technical quality, his temperament, you can see today was a massive game for the football club, and he wasn’t phased by it. He goes on and does his stuff.
“I think Lewis sees himself with them (Tonali and Guimaraes). Of course, he’s open enough to want help and guidance and progression, but I think quite rightly that he sees himself at the same level as them and he’s competing with them for places.”
Two seasons on from his breakthrough, it was brilliant to see Miley back to his best and playing a big part in a vital win on the biggest of stages.
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