By Nnamdi Onyeagwara

11th Aug, 2022 | 10:10am

Arsenal starlet Charlie Patino shines in first Blackpool start v Barrow

Arsenal wonderkid Charlie Patino was awarded the man of the match on his full debut for Blackpool in their EFL cup match against Barrow.

The Seasiders were knocked out of the competition but the teenager was the shining light on a gloomy evening and stood out in midfield.

The performance in midfield was extremely promising and a great start to his season-long loan at Bloomfield Road.

Good Start for Patino

Patino is one of the highest-rated Arsenal youth prospects in years, and his performance against Barrow showed where a lot of that hype has come from.

Wearing number 28, Patino was able to collect the ball from the defense and start attacks with ease, beating the Barrow press with bursts of pace and body feints.

However, he was also able to start higher up the pitch and get into dangerous pockets of space, affecting the game in a more attacking position.

The teenager’s passing ability was also on full display as he played a number of incisive, defense-splitting passes with his wand of a left foot.

It is yet to be decided if Patino is more of a defensive midfielder or if his future position will see him positioned in a more attacking midfield role.

Despite that, one thing is for sure and that is if he continues to perform like this for the duration of his loan he will not only adhere himself to the Blackpool faithful, but Arsenal fans will continue to buy into the hype of the teenage sensation.

In other Arsenal news, Gary Neville was stunned by William Saliba’s Premier League debut.