Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Two goals from a 16-year-old change a cup night faster than a senior rotation. Efficiency is the word managers reach for when the talent is already obvious.
Another teenager completing 90 minutes in the same match is how an academy looks serious. Physicality on the road is the test they cannot fake.
Three away games in a week ask for attitude. The quotes after the fourth win of a seven-game streak tend to sound grateful.
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Mikel Arteta called Max Dowman’s display unbelievable after Arsenal beat Ipswich 4-2 in the Carabao Cup third round. The 16-year-old scored inside 10 minutes to become the club’s second-youngest scorer in the competition, then added another within 90 seconds of the restart. Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino also scored. Ipswich replied through Anis Mehmedi and Chuba Akpom.
Arteta said: “He was unbelievable again; some of the actions and connections that he can give us on the pitch are just a joy to watch. He was really efficient; he’s getting more and more active in action; he can sustain for longer periods, and we know the talent that we have.”
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“Saw Eberechi to his left and said “don’t worry, this is Eze for me.”
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— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) September 16, 2026
That matches the pre-match line that Dowman would get minutes when he earned them. A first start of the season, two goals, and the manager repeating “unbelievable” is the earning.
Marli Salmon, 17, started and played the full 90. Arteta said: “Really good as well, and it was a really tough match with some of the physicality that they have, and the way they isolate you, and you have to handle. Again, another 17-year-old doing something incredible, so yeah, really proud of him.”
On the run of away days he added: “The last week has been tough in Napoli, in Sunderland then coming here again. But again look at the attitude of the players, the desire they showed, and that’s what we have to do – go again.”
To the travelling support: “Unbelievable again, thank you so much everybody for travelling, creating an incredible atmosphere, supporting and making the players feel that this is an important competition that we want to go through and try to win it.”
Brighton at 3pm on Saturday is the fourth straight away match and is not on UK television. Dowman has made the cup argument. Whether he stays in the league conversation is the next question. Arteta’s public verdict is already on the club site. Unbelievable, efficient, and ready to go again.