Arteta hails Dowman display but vows to “look after him”
Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Max Dowman after the 16-year-old scored twice in Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Ipswich Town, but he was equally wary of placing too much pressure on a player who still has plenty to learn.
The attacking midfielder broke the deadlock after seven minutes, winning possession in midfield and exchanging passes with Eberechi Eze before finishing coolly. He repeated the trick shortly after the break, slotting home from Martin Zubimendi’s through ball.
Arsenal were already in control by then, with Noni Madueke also on the scoresheet, before Mikel Merino added a fourth ahead of the hour mark.
Gary O’Neil’s side fought back in the closing stages, twice reducing the deficit. Former Gunner Chuba Akpom grabbed their second in stoppage time, but it was not enough to deny Arsenal a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
“A joy to have him,” was Arteta’s immediate reaction when pressed on Dowman’s mercurial talent in the post-game press conference.
The manager was also keen to recognise Marli Salmon, who partnered Gabriel in central defence on his first senior start of the new season.
“Marli as well, 16 years old [editor’s note – Salmon is actually 17], to play at that level with the physicality they have to be able to handle that level, it’s remarkable.”
He added: “Max, it’s inevitable to talk about him when he scores and he creates the moments that he has created tonight. It’s normal [to talk].”
Dowman’s opening goal offered a neat demonstration of why the excitement around him continues to grow. Having won the ball in the centre of the park, he drove towards the Ipswich defence and combined with Eze. A shake of the hips sent Cedric Kipre to the turf before Dowman gave Christian Walton the eyes and found the net.
It was a goal that combined determination, confidence and technical quality, all delivered with the ease Arteta has come to expect from the teenager.
“That’s something very natural for him. He can deliver those actions effortlessly, I would say. That’s his biggest quality.
“And defensively, his application, his capacity to sustain the actions, which is not easy at 16-years-old, he can create moments, but consistently to go through the game, every phase with the demands that we put in them, to be able to do that is extremely difficult.
“He’s coping better and better and better. He did the action where he regained the ball and wins it.
“In the first [Ipswich] goal, he loses his man. And that’s the things that we need to continue to reiterate with him, because he’s an unbelievable player because of the character that he has and how much he loves to play at the biggest stage and still handles the situation with such a naturality.”
That passage captured the balance Arteta is trying to strike. Dowman is capable of producing moments few players his age could contemplate, let alone execute, but his development will also depend on becoming more reliable without the ball.
The teenager’s two goals will inevitably command most of the attention, yet Arteta remains focused on teaching him the finer details of the game, the likes of which set his Arsenal side apart from their rivals.
On how he stops the hype around Dowman, Arteta said: “If he does what he does on the pitch it’s not easy, I understand. But what we have to do is look after him. He’s 16 years old. You don’t see that in this league.
“In other leagues in Europe, that’s a totally different context. But in this league, with the demands that the league, the players and everything puts on you, we really need to make sure every time we throw him in, he’s in the right context with the right preparation. That’s what we are trying to do.”
Asked whether that means he will be conservative about using Dowman, the boss explained:
“We’re going to make sure that when we just throw him there, he’s ready to handle that at every level. And it’s not just that he can run past somebody.
“There’s a lot of more things that we need to look after him. But he will dictate that in terms of how he behaves every single day and how many reasons he gives us to play him because he’s part of our squad. Like anybody else, no different.
“The only thing that we have to manage is that he needs to constantly be aware that he needs to be prepared to what he needs to do.”
That is the challenge facing Dowman over the coming months. His attacking quality is already good enough to change games, as Ipswich discovered, but Arteta wants him to understand the tactical, defensive and physical demands that come with playing regularly at this level. There is no need to rush a player who is still only 16, although nights like this will make it increasingly difficult to leave him out.
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