Marli Salmon is primed to be an Arsenal starter, his stats vs Ipswich prove why
Marli Salmon proved his quality against Premier League opposition in the Carabao Cup as he stakes a claim for more game time in the Arsenal first-team.
Arsenal cruised to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night with a 4-2 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Max Dowman, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino put the Gunners four goals to the good before the hour mark as the hosts halved the deficit late on.
Mikel Arteta rang the changes for the cup outing, as 17-year-old centre-back Salmon was handed the second start of his senior career in East Anglia.
Salmon barely put a foot wrong across 90 minutes to prove that he is ready for regular minutes in Arteta's side.
The Gunners are certainly well-stocked at the back, but could have a generational talent on their hands with the teenager and he definitely deserves more starts in the near future.
Marli Salmon proves his Premier League readiness against Ipswich
Salmon has made his way through Arsenal's academy to the fringes of their first-team, making his senior debut against Club Brugge in December 2025.
His first start for the club came against Mansfield Town in an FA Cup clash in March and he featured heavily in Arteta's pre-season plans.
Salmon's only prior appearance in the first team squad for a competitive game this season came as he watched on from the bench against Napoli last week, but he made the most of a rare chance to play at Portman Road.
Of all the players to complete a full 90 minutes across five Carabao Cup games on Tuesday, Salmon was the only one to finish with 100 per cent pass accuracy, with 65 completed.
He was comfortable with the ball, taking the second-most touches of any player on the pitch, while making seven ball recoveries, three tackles and nine clearances in a performance that made him look much more experienced than any other 17-year-old.
Salmon won seven of his 12 duels and won two fouls too, proving that he can definitely hold his own against PL opposition and compete against Arteta's senior stars for places in the team this season.
What did Arteta say about Salmon after Ipswich clash?
Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Arteta is set to sign a seven-year contract extension, with Salmon surely set to be a long-term asset to his plans for the future.
The Gunners boss could not hide his admiration for the 17-year-old and fellow youth star Dowman after the win at Ipswich, as he said: "A joy to have (Dowman), Marli as well, a 17-year-old, to play at the level with the physicality they have to be able to handle that level. It's remarkable. Just having (them) playing for Arsenal at this level against a Premier League team is so fulfilling.
"I've been there, and just to be able to contribute to somebody's career and dream, to be able to experience a game like tonight is just phenomenal. Medium and long term, we know that if they continue to develop in the way that they are, we're going to have two tremendous footballers for the future.”