An FA Cup fifth-round clash with Mansfield Town was never likely to cause much fuss or excitement for Arsenal.
However, while they had to work hard for their 2-1 win, goals coming from Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, it was another member of the squad who stole the limelight.
Eze-Martinelli-Mosquera-Arsenal
That was a certain Max Dowman. Aged just 16, the teenager looked like the best player on the pitch. After a period of time out injured, it was a timely reminder of just how extraordinarily good this young boy is. Whisper it quietly, but he genuinely looks like a generational talent.
Forget Bukayo Saka, Dowman looks like the best thing to have come through Hale End.
Max Dowman's breakthrough season in numbers
Should we really be surprised that Dowman looked unfazed against League One opposition? Definitely not. After all, this young player has already bamboozled Premier League defences.
From winning a penalty in pre-season against Newcastle to being trusted as a second-half substitute against Liverpool when Arsenal were trailing, a huge degree of faith has been put in the teen already. He's repaying that trust, too.
Arsenal-Mansfield-Max-Dowman
Dowman has made an impact in various cup competitions this term but until his outing against Mansfield, he had only ever started one official fixture for the Gunners, the 2-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup last year.
You'd be forgiven for thinking the academy graduate was a seasoned pro with the performance he delivered on Saturday. This was not normal at all for a player making just his second senior start. At the age of 16, he ran the game, making four dribbles, taking five shots and producing two key passes.
The attacking midfielder could and should have scored but we'll excuse that. The rest of his performance was hugely exciting. The way he glides across the pitch is just remarkable. He's fleet-footed, tricky, creative and a constant nuisance for defenders.
The teenager may not have scored a senior goal yet but it will surely only be a matter of time before that comes. He came very close to breaking that duck against Mansfield a few days ago.
Dowman vs Mansfield Town
Minutes played
Touches
Accurate passes
Key passes
Accurate crosses
Shots
Shots on target
Successful dribbles
Carries
Fouled
Duels won
He does know where the goal is, though, finding the net six times in five Premier League 2 and UEFA Youth League games. This is a kid with the world at his feet. He's the second-youngest player in Arsenal's history, the youngest player to ever feature in the Champions League and the youngest goalscorer at the age of 14 in UEFA Youth League history.
Despite all of that, he's not going to walk into the first-team ranks. Several players are in his way and something may have to give.
How Arteta can fit Dowman into his Arsenal lineup
Fortuantely for the Hale Ender, he is already a supremely versatile player with the ability to play from the flanks or in the middle behind the striker.
Dowman initially made his breakthrough on the right flank but it was in the middle where he started the game on Saturday and what an impact he made.
Max-Dowman-Arsenal-Mansfield
That means he could challenge a whole host of players for regular minutes. It is unlikely he will surpass Saka on the right but his potential is more exciting than Noni Madueke so a backup role could be on the cards for a number of years.
Alternatively, he might have more success as a midfielder, where he will have to fight off the competition from Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard. However, what does the future hold for Ethan Nwaneri if Dowman continues to dazzle? Well, his pathway to greatness certainly looks a great deal more uncertain.
Nwaneri-Hincapie-Merino-Lewis-Skelly-Arsenal
There is an argument to suggest that Nwaneri is the original Dowman. He made his Premier League debut at the age of 15 and is the only player to have featured for Arsenal at a younger age. After his first game for the club, the teenager had to bide his time for regular minutes but 2024/25 was all about him.
|Arsenal's youngest debutants|
|Player|Age at debut|
|---|
|#1 Ethan Nwaneri|15 years, 5 months, 28 days|
|#2 Max Dowman|15 years, 7 months, 23 days|
|#3 Jack Porter|16 years, 2 months, 10 days|
|#4 Marli Salmon|16 years, 3 months, 11 days|
|#5 Cesc Fabregas|16 years, 5 months, 24 days|
|#6 Jack Wilshere|16 years, 8 months, 12 days|
|#7 Jermaine Pennant|16 years, 10 months, 15 days|
|#8 Paul Vaessen|16 years, 11 months, 11 days|
|#9 Ryan Smith|16 years, 11 months, 18 days|
|#10 Gedion Zelalem|16 years, 11 months, 29 days|
With a lack of depth out wide and as a result of Saka's hamstring injury, Nwaneri became a key player, scoring nine goals in 37 outings. It was a sensational breakthrough year for one of the best players we've ever seen come through the academy ranks in north London.
For years, Arteta had been craving someone capable of relinquishing the pressure on Saka and in Nwaneri, they had found just that.
Speaking about him after a sensational showing against Leicester City, Joe Cole said: "He's a strong little thing. You can't mark him because he can go both ways. These touches he produces in and around the box, I don't want to say it, but it's like Messi."
While comparisons to Messi may well be pushing it, comparisons to Sake certainly made sense. Like the club's starboy, Nwaneri has a phenomenal left foot and is equal parts creative. Cutting in from the right, he can produce something out of nothing and it was remarkable to see how reliant Arsenal were on the youngster at times last season.
nwaneri-arsenal
Yet, 2025/26 has been far more difficult for him. Arsenal's increased squad size meant that minutes have not been forthcoming. It got to the new year period and the 18-year-old had not started a single Premier League match despite being in the squad on 18 occasions.
As a result, a loan move beckoned. He joined French side Marseille, where he's endured a turbulent time of it. The idea was that he would learn his trade under a similar manager to Arteta in the form of Roberto De Zerbi and that link-up worked wonders immediately.
Ethan-Nwaneri-Marseille
He scored on his debut for Marseille in Ligue 1 but it has not been plain sailing since. De Zerbi left his job and Nwaneri has not started the last four league games. He even missed a penalty in Marseille's cup shoot-out defeat to Toulouse at the weekend.
It is important to remember just how young he is and patience must be required. Nwaneri is still very much learning his trade.
However, it feels incredibly unlikely that you will get both him and Dowman in the same side, particularly if Saka is to have a long and successful career at the Emirates too. As a result, the sad eventuality may come around where Nwaneri is sacrificed.
We're not at the stage yet but Arteta will need to plot out the paths of both young players appropriately.
Max-Dowman-Madueke-Eze-Saka-Jaden-Dixon-Arsenal Related
The next Max Dowman has already agreed to sign for Arsenal in 2027
Max Dowman was in exceptional form for Arsenal in the FA Cup at the weekend.