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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta only had good things to say about youngster Marli Salmon after he put in yet another great shift at centre-back against Como.
Salmon has played a few games in the pre-season for Arsenal, and he's not looked out of place one single time.
He has been involved with and without the ball. He is pinging the ball around all over the pitch many times, and the one thing he's not looked is underconfident for a 16-year-old, and that is simply fantastic.
Arteta was asked about his play and how he's been able to handle the pressure of playing not only for Arsenal, but also in front of the Emirates crowd, to which he said great things.
He said: "First of all, he played with courage, and secondly, how fast he learns - because it takes weeks and months sometimes to develop certain things.
"He picks things up really quickly - he’s a really smart boy, he really wants it, he’s 16 years old and some of his individual actions today were exceptional."
Marli Salmon is a star in the making, and Arsenal must keep him around
There is no need for anyone to be putting too much pressure on Salmon, but when you are that good, you deserve to play as much as humanly possible.
Arsenal are currently struggling with injuries at centre-back, with William Saliba out for a few months.
Obviously, Cristhian Mosquera would be playing in the Frenchman's place for the majority of the time he's not around.
But there will be times when Mosquera is tired, suspended or injured. And if it ever comes to that, Salmon is a fantastic option to have - he has not looked out of place one single time playing for Arsenal so far this pre-season.
Yes, it is just pre-season, and when the season starts, it is a completely different ball game, but from what everyone has seen from Salmon, it is definitely worth giving him a shot and seeing how he does.
Players as confident as Salmon usually tend to thrive when the pressure increases, and it seems like he would enjoy being in that position in the first place.
There have been other talented teenagers who have played at a very young age like Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, and Salmon seems to be cut from the same cloth.
It remains to be seen whether Arteta actually plays him in a competitive game, but he wouldn't be disappointed if he does decide to do so.
Salmon would be a really good temporary centre-back option for Arsenal, and if he's as exceptional as Arteta thinks he is, he will definitely get opportunities in the new season.
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