According to a report by Football London on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Arsenal’s disappointing Carabao Cup elimination against Fleetwood Town proved a difficult experience for several academy players, with former striker Ian Wright describing the match as an important learning opportunity for young defender Marli Salmon.

Manager Mikel Arteta handed opportunities to several promising youngsters, with mixed results. Ceadach O’Neill provided an assist on his debut, while 16-year-old Max Dowman impressed before receiving a late red card.

However, Salmon endured a difficult evening against the League Two side. The 17-year-old centre-back started alongside Cristhian Mosquera but struggled physically and was substituted at half-time following an underwhelming first-half performance.

Salmon had recently captained Arsenal’s Under-19 side and scored against Bayern Munich, but facing experienced senior opponents presented a different challenge for the highly rated defender.

Aaron Loupalo-Bi took advantage of Salmon’s defensive weakness to score Fleetwood’s opening goal, highlighting the physical demands of senior football compared with youth competitions.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright questioned whether academy football provides young players with enough preparation for the intensity of senior matches.

“Now we’re talking about somebody who’s played a lot of football in that Under-23 Premier League,” Wright said. “That’s not football. That’s not football.”

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville also pointed to the physical challenges facing inexperienced youngsters, explaining: “You’re gonna get rolled in League Two if you’re sort of not physically [ready].”

Despite Salmon’s difficult performance, Wright maintained that the experience could help the youngster develop. He believes the defender has considerable ability but needs to learn how to cope with stronger and more experienced opponents.

“It’s a massive learning curve,” Wright explained. “It’d be a massive wake-up call… because he’s a good player. But you do need to have that kind of experience of playing against that kind of player.”

Salmon has already demonstrated impressive technical ability and confidence in possession, explaining Arsenal’s excitement about his potential. However, his physical development remains an important area for improvement.

Arsenal could therefore consider sending him out on loan in January to gain valuable experience in senior football. A spell in the Championship or League One could accelerate his development more effectively than remaining in academy football.

William Saliba previously benefited from gaining experience away from Arsenal, demonstrating how carefully managed loan spells can help promising defenders prepare for first-team responsibilities.

Wright also suggested that Arteta would have warned his young players that Fleetwood would target their inexperience. Although Dowman and Salmon faced different challenges during the defeat, both youngsters can use the experience as motivation to improve.