Mikel Arteta explained the thinking behind giving an opportunity to another Hale End player.
**Arsenal**earned a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League, their sixth from six fixtures in the tournament this season. They are the only side to sport a 100% winning record, and qualification in the top eight of the table for the Round of 16 is almost a certainty at this stage.
To top off their night, the manager made the decision to hand playing time to a 16-year-old.
Marli Salmon slipped into the defensive unit as one of the more impressive players from the academy during preseason. Arteta knows that he has to manage the minutes of his most senior players, and the squad has been stretched thin at the back. Gabriel Magalhaes marked the first big blow as he went down with an injury in the international break with Brazil, then William Saliba has been absent since a 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, and Cristhian Mosquera missed out with an ankle injury.
Salmon is now the fourth youngest player to pull on the red and white shirt for the club at the senior level, and he is the youngest to make his competitive debut for the Gunners in European competition.
“The thought was as well from yesterday, the fact that we had to play Christian Norgaard as well, we had to really consider it because we were playing a really good side that had some really good results in the Champions League at home as well.
“We knew that at some point we had to use him. So, he was ready, he was prepared, he can play as a centre-back or as a full-back and I'm delighted. He's so young, 16 still, and he's playing in the Champions League. So yeah, what a great night for him as well.
“The thought was as well from yesterday, the fact that we had to play Christian Norgaard as well, we had to really consider it because we were playing a really good side that had some really good results in the Champions League at home as well, but we knew that at some point we had to use him.
*“He was ready, he was prepared, he can play as a centre-back or as a full-back and I'm delighted. He's so young, 16 still, and he's playing in the Champions League,. What a great night for him as well.”*
“That’s what we want. That's why we put so much work and everybody in the academy puts so much enthusiasm and work. And for a long time, you have to prepare those talents. So, thanks to them, because when we need them, they are there, they are ready to perform. So that's great.”