Arteta dips into Arsenal's stream of teen talent to give Salmon his UCL debut

Marli Salmon became the sixth-youngest player to feature in the Champions League when he was sent on as a late substitute in Arsenal's 3-0 win at Club Brugge on Wednesday.

Salmon is 16 years and 103 days old, and came on for Ben White at Jan Breydel Stadium, with manager Mikel Arteta saying: "We knew that at some point we had to use him."

"He's so young, 16 still, and he's playing in the Champions League," Arteta said.

But Salmon is not even the youngest player that Arsenal has fielded this season.

That distinction goes to Max Dowman, who was 15 years and 308 days old when he entered as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague last month.

According to UEFA, Salmon is the third player who is 16 or younger that Arsenal has fielded in the Champions League after Dowman and former midfielder Jack Wilshere.

"That's why we, and everybody in the academy, puts (in) so much enthusiasm and work," said Arteta.

"You have to prepare those talents for a long time.

"So, my thanks to them, because when we need them, they are there; they are ready to perform."

Dowman is the youngest player ever to play in European club soccer's top competition — taking that record from Youssoufa Moukoko, who was 16 years and 18 days old when he appeared for Borussia Dortmund in 2020.

Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal is the third youngest, having made his debut in the competition at the age of 16 years and 68 days in 2023.

Wearing No 89, Salmon is described by Arsenal as a gifted, ball-playing center-back. He first joined the club's academy playing for the Under-11 team.

His first Champions League appearance came before he's even played a senior domestic league or cup game for Arsenal.

In September, he played for the club's U21s in the Football League Trophy.

Perfect Gunners

Arsenal boss Arteta praised his team's performance, particularly in light of its lengthy list of missing players, after Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored wonder goals in a performance that saw Arsenal outclass Club Brugge 3-0.

The win makes it six out of six for the Gunners in the Champions League, virtually guaranteeing automatic qualification to the last 16.

"To win away from home, especially when we have that many players out, it makes the task bigger, but I talked to the boys," Arteta told TNT Sports.

"It was about showing how much we wanted it, our resilience and how we prepared, and I think there were some great examples, for example Christian Norgaard, who is a player that probably prepares the best out of all of them."

Premier League leader Arsenal, which has never won the Champions League, traveled to Belgium after suffering its first defeat since August at the weekend — a 2-1 loss at high-flying Aston Villa.

Arteta, juggling his resources, made five changes to the side that lost to Villa, with Norgaard starting at center-back and Viktor Gyokeres back in the starting lineup for the first time since Nov 1.

"The first goal was really nice, second a tap-in, but the first one was sweet," said an elated Madueke.

"We're fighting on all fronts. I feel like we can win this competition and win the league, that has to be the aim. We're in a good place at the moment."

Ivan Leko, back at Brugge for a second spell as manager, was overseeing his first match following the sacking of Nicky Hayen on Monday.

"We played against a very good team," Brugge midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic said.

"Against the best in the world. Still, we played our match. You have to be able to score quickly against teams like that. We're a young team and we'll learn from this."

Agencies