Arsenal crashed out in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup to Championship side Southampton in a 2-1 defeat at St. Mary's on Saturday night.
The Gunners had the chance to make their way back to Wembley after losing the League Cup final under the arch before the international break, but suffered another defeat instead.
Goals from Ross Stewart and Shea Charles, a former Manchester City academy starlet, secured the win for the home side, who are currently competing for promotion from the second tier.
ben-white-arsenal
A comeback looked on the cards after Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench to equalise, finishing Kai Havertz's pass across the box, but they were unable to grab a second goal, despite Max Dowman's best efforts.
The 16-year-old Arsenal record breaker played the full 90 minutes for the Gunners and was incredibly unlucky to end the game on the losing side.
Max Dowman steals the show against Southampton
Dowman became the youngest ever Premier League goalscorer against Everton last month, but his performance against Southampton was an even bigger step in his development.
Rather than coming off the bench to make an impact, the teenage sensation ran the show for Arsenal and emerged as the go-to player for the team throughout the game as a starter against the Saints.
He constantly demanded the ball and looked to make things happen for the Gunners, and ended the match with more touches (67) than Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus.
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Dowman completed 100% of his dribbles (3/3), had three shots on target that were saved by Daniel Peretz, won four fouls for the side, and created a chance for his teammates.
Whilst the result was not what Arsenal wanted, the game was a good experience for the 16-year-old starlet because he would have felt the weight of the team on his shoulders and it did not appear to faze him.
Meanwhile, some of his more experienced teammates offered less than him on the ball and did not show as much responsibility with their play throughout the game.
The Gunners flop who looks finished at Arsenal
There was one Gunners attacker, in particular, who was shown up by Dowman and is starting to look like he is finished at The Emirates ahead of the summer transfer window.
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Gabriel Jesus, who was signed from Man City for £45m in 2022, started the game as the lone centre-forward ahead of Gyokeres, and failed to take his opportunity to impress.
The Brazil international has struggled in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals in 11 matches, and failed to score in 90 minutes against League One side Mansfield Town in the last round of the FA Cup.
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Jesus needed to take this chance to shine ahead of the Champions League and Premier League run-ins, due to his poor performances throughout the rest of the season, but he was unable to make an impact.
The former Man City striker came off after 60 minutes with zero shots on target and zero dribbles completed, taking less than half as many touches (29) as Dowman (67).
Vs Southampton Jesus Dowman
Minutes 60 90
Touches 29 67
Shots 2 7
Shots on target 0 3
Dribbles completed 0/1 3/3
Progressive carries 1 12
Key passes 1 1
Arsenal's wonderkid showed Jesus up with the energy, personality, and quality that he displayed against the Saints, as the experienced striker offered very little in the final third.
The icing on the cake for Jesus was that Gyokeres found the back of the net just eight minutes after coming off the bench, scoring for the 17th time in all competitions this season.
As it stands, Jesus is set to make it three seasons out of four at Arsenal without hitting double figures for goals in all competitions since his £45m move from City, after scoring 11 goals in 33 games in his debut campaign in North London.
The Brazilian centre-forward's current contract at The Emirates is currently due to expire in the summer of 2027, which means that there will be a big decision for Mikel Arteta to make this summer.
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This summer window may be the last chance the Gunners have to cash in on him before he can sign a pre-contract or leave on a free transfer next year, which is why his career at the club looks finished given the standard of his performances this season.
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The Gunners are prepared to spend big this summer.