Marli Salmon did something during Arsenal's win vs Ipswich that's simply stunning
Arsenal handed Marli Salmon a start in their Carabao Cup clash against Ipswich Town.
The 17-year-old made his senior debut last campaign, and he had a very impressive pre-season as well under Mikel Arteta.
With William Saliba, Ben White, Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber all unavailable on Tuesday night, Salmon got an opportunity at the heart of the defence.
The Arsenal academy graduate showed the world why he is rated as one of the best young defenders in the country.
Marli Salmon produced an outrageous stat during Ipswich Town vs Arsenal
It’s extremely difficult for a 17-year-old to start a senior game anywhere, but to do it as a central defender away from home against Premier League opposition is a massive ask.
Marli Salmon was tested on a few occasions by Ipswich’s forwards, but he still managed to come out on top and looked extremely calm throughout the game.
What caught our eye was his passing. Salmon attempted 65 passes and completed every single one of them, thus boasting a 100 per cent success rate.
That is incredible for anyone, let alone someone so young starting as a centre-back for the first time in the senior side.
Furthermore, Salmon made seven ball recoveries, five clearances and an interception. He also attempted three tackles and successfully won every one of them. (Sofascore)
Arsenal have a real gem in Salmon, and if they continue to develop him in the same way, we are convinced he will become a superstar in a few years’ time.
Arsenal showed once again why they have the best academy in the Premier League
The Arsenal academy is one of the best in football, and that was evident against Ipswich Town on Tuesday night.
Arteta started the game with three players from the youth setup – Max Dowman, Salmon and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
In the second half, Theo Julienne and Ife Ibrahim came on to make it five academy players on the pitch, which is a testament to the work people in the youth setup are doing.
Even Ipswich had a Gunners’ academy representative in Chuba Akpom – he came through the ranks at Hale End as well many years ago.
Arteta deserves a lot of praise for giving opportunities to these young players, and the fact that none of them looked out of place proves that Arsenal have the best academy in the country.