REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Arsenal have the best squad depth in the country and on Tuesday night, that was evident against Ipswich Town.
The Gunners reached the final of the Carabao Cup last term and their quest to go one better started in perfect fashion at Portman Road, winning 4-2.
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Arteta rang the changes. There were nine of them from the side that defeated Sunderland just a few days ago but there was no drop in quality whatsoever.
There were goals for Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino but it was Max Dowman who stole the show.
How Max Dowman dominated Ipswich
16 years of age. That’s how young this kid is. It really does defy belief.
He’s the second youngest player in the club’s history behind Ethan Nwaneri and last term, he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at the age of 16 years and 73 days, netting against Everton.
Dowman-Nwaneri-Ngumoha
He’s a special talent and he showcased that in midweek with a spellbinding display against the Tractor Boys.
It was Dowman who opened the scoring just seven minutes in when he collected the ball from Eberechi Eze, charged towards the penalty area before dancing around Cedric Kipre and finding the net. It was a jaw-dropping show of quick feet.
Max Dowman vs Ipswich
The teenager’s evening got even better in the second half when he bagged a second goal of the night and his third senior strike.
It wasn’t quite as classy as the first but he still showed remarkable composure, picking up play on the right side of the penalty area before poking the ball into the back of the net.
This felt like a statement night for the youngster against Premier League opposition. He was easily the best player on the pitch. No player on either side had more shots (3), no player attempted more dribbles (7) while no one for Arsenal won more duels (7) on the night.
This was a simply sensational display from Dowman but it wasn’t a good day for everyone in Arsenal red.
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Big-money Arsenal star wastes his chance to impress
There were not many players who underperformed at Ipswich on Tuesday.
Dowman wasn’t the only teenager to star. Marli Salmon made just a second competitive start and looked at ease at the back, completing 100% of his passes.
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Likewise it was a strong performance from Madueke on the right wing. He really looked like a player who wanted to seize his opportunity and in a rare start, he did just that. The wide man took his goal brilliantly and was a constant threat to the opposition’s backline.
The same, sadly, cannot be said for Eze. While he did supply Dowman’s opener, the Hale Ender didn’t have many positive moments in possession.
While Madueke was always looking to inject some pace into the game, Eze wanted to slow things down and it didn’t lead to a great performance.
In 40 touches of the ball, he gave away possession every four touches. He’s a risk taker and he’s vibrant but that effervescence was not on show on Tuesday. The England international had just one shot, created only one chance and was unsuccessful with three of his four dribbles.
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Arsenal ratings vs Ipswich
Kepa - 7/10
Martin Zubimendi - 6/10
Marli Salmon - 6/10
Gabriel Magalhaes - 7/10
Myles Lewis-Skelly 7/10
Bruno Guimaraes - 9/10
Mikel Merino - 8/10
Max Dowman - 9/10
Noni Madueke - 8/10
Eberechi Eze - 4/10
Viktor Gyokeres - 3/10
Much like against Napoli a week ago, nothing really came off for the former Crystal Palace man who has endured a difficult start to the season.
With Martin Odegaard arguably in the form of his life, the chances of Eze securing minutes in his favoured central position look unlikely. As a result, Arteta is utilising him as the Gabriel Martinelli replacement on the left flank.
He’s certainly more technically secure with the ball than the Brazilian but he’s not quite as explosive as either Martinelli or new signing Christos Tzolis.
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Besides that game away at Villa Park, Tzolis has been exceptional in the embryonic stages of his Arsenal career and on the evidence of Eze’s display in Naples, followed by his night at Ipswich, the Greek is extremely likely to remain the manager’s first choice option off the left.
When Arsenal travel to Brighton on Saturday, Eze will have to settle for a place on the bench.
Against lower Premier League opposition he was simply outclassed by his younger peer in Dowman. Alarm bells should be ringing regarding his early season performances. The forward needs to improve quickly.
Mustafi