Merino: Arsenal's 'special talent' Dowman 'very similar' to Yamal
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has hailed Max Dowman as a "special talent" and believes there are similarities to his Spanish compatriot Lamine Yamal.
Dowman produced an exhilarating two-goal showing at Ipswich on Tuesday to fire Arsenal into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 4-2 win.
It made Dowman only the second 16-year-old to score twice for a Premier League team after Wayne Rooney achieved the feat for Everton against Wrexham in 2002, but the most comparable modern player to Arsenal's teenage sensation is Barcelona superstar Yamal.
Yamal, 19, made his debut for Spain at the age of 16 and turned 17 during their Euro 2024 triumph before he starred in this summer's World Cup victory.
After Yamal was handed a regular role by Barcelona at the age of 16, Dowman could soon follow the same path and Spain midfielder Merino praised the Arsenal youngster.
"Yeah, I would say there are some similarities in terms of their character," Merino said.
"They don't care about the spotlight, they thrive when pressure is at the highest, they are always up for the challenge and they are not shy at all -- even facing the biggest names in the game, so they are very similar.
"Obviously you want Max to shine and you want him to express himself and show everyone the talent that he has, but, at the same time, you have to sometimes remind them that they are human beings and they are part of a bigger squad and team.
"The good thing with these kind of players -- Lamine and Max -- is that they are special talents, but at the same time they are very humble. They are always keen to learn and listen to the veterans. That is priceless.
"So, we are very happy to have him, but at the same time he knows that we are here to help him and sometimes even if we push him a little bit, he knows it's for his own good. He is a very good kid."
This dazzling display by Dowman occurred in the same week where England boss Thomas Tuchel will name his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.
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A call-up for Dowman on this occasion is unlikely, but a performance where he mixed style and substance -- closing down Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton for Noni Madueke's goal and making a notable tackle on Florentino Luis two minutes after his second -- will only increase the scrutiny.
However, Merino insisted everyone at Arsenal will be with the exciting prospect every step of the way.
Merino said: "Honestly, he is an unbelievable talent. We knew it, but every time he goes on the pitch and plays against grown men -- even being 16 or 17 -- he makes the difference. He is a big talent and we have to take care of him.
"We have to keep pushing him. He needs to keep learning -- eyes and ears open always. There is still big room for improvement in a lot of areas and he knows that, so we are going to be by his side trying to get him to his best level."