By Martin Graham
At only 15 years and 302 days, Max Dowman added his name of Arsenal history once again, this time as the youngest player to start a competitive game for the club. The teenage winger featured prominently in Arsenal’s EFL Cup win Brightonshowing poise and confidence beyond his years.
Dowman had already grabbed the headlines earlier this season when he became the second-youngest player to appear for Arsenal, and the second-youngest in Premier League history, during August’s 5-0 win over Leeds United. His rapid rise has been closely followed within the club, where excitement over his potential has been building since he joined first-team training as a 14-year-old.
Mikel Arteta, who made 10 changes to his starting line-up for the Brighton game, put his faith in a youthful side that included four teenagers. Among them were Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annousboth made their first full outings in senior competition.
Calm confidence and natural style
Arteta described Dowman’s reaction to his selection as understated but characteristic of the youngster’s calm personality. “A little smile, that’s what you get from him,” said the Arsenal manager. “For him, everything feels natural. He just goes out there and plays with grit and determination.”
That composure translated onto the pitch. Dowman impressed with his dribbling and creativity, completing more tackles, winning more fouls and winning more tackles than any other player in the game. A dazzling run past Brighton’s Diego Gomez drew cheers from the Emirates crowd and underlined why the Arsenal staff see him as a special talent.
Arteta said the opportunity to hand debuts to the likes of Dowman and Harriman-Annous was deeply rewarding. “Giving someone the opportunity to live their dream is unique,” he noted. “I’m delighted that it came in a game where we also got the result we wanted.”
Handle the next step carefully
Dowman’s progress could soon take him to the European stage. If he appears in the Champions League before his 16th birthday later this year, he would become the youngest player ever to appear in the competition. Arteta, however, stressed the importance of managing expectations.
“He’s got a lot going on right now,” the manager said. “He thinks he’s ready for everything, and that’s great, but we’ve got to make sure he takes the right steps. Things are moving fast and it’s our job to help him manage it properly.”
The Arsenal manager added that the club will continue to support the teenager’s development both on and off the pitch. “We want him to continue progressing in the right way but also to be protected,” explained Arteta.
A night to remember in the Arsenal academy
It wasn’t just Dowman who shone on a memorable night for the club’s academy. Harriman-Annous17-year-old played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s second goal, while the 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly and 17 years old Ethan Nwaneri — both graduates of the Hale End system — combined very well for the worker.
Arteta has valued the contributions of the young team, highlighting how their performances reflect the club’s long-term investment in youth development. “I’m really happy with all of them (Max, Andre, Myles, Ethan) and to see Bukayo (Saka) score as well makes it even more special,” he said. “Two Academy players scored and others contributed to take us through to the quarter-finals – it was a very emotional night.”
