Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says youngster Max Dowman will surely get his shot at the north London side this campaign, only once he earns it on the training ground.
Full name: Arsenal Football Club Nickname: The Gunners Founded: October 1886 Stadium: Emirates Stadium Owner: Kroenke Sports and Entertainment Co-chairmen: Stan Kroenke, Josh Kroenke Manager: Mikel Arteta League: Premier League Season 2025/26: Champions Website: arsenal.com Arsenal football club is one… Read More about ARSENAL
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insists that Max Dowman remains part of his plans this season, as per latest news. Even though the teenager keeps waiting patiently for his opportunity on the biggest stage in English football.
Test of patience for Max Dowman
Dowman has been named among the substitutes on four separate occasions already this season. But, he hasn’t stepped onto the pitch during a Premier League fixture. Rather than sitting idle, the sixteen-year-old has kept himself sharp through the U-21 side, including a tough outing in a 4-1 defeat against Chelsea over the weekend.
That workload might frustrate a player desperate for senior game-time. However, it has not stopped fans wondering why one of the country’s most exciting academy graduates cannot force his way into a squad already stacked with attacking options.
Arteta addressed those questions directly following Saturday’s comfortable 2-0 victory away at Sunderland, a game where Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze were all included among the substitutes ahead of Dowman. The Spanish coach was honest about the numbers problem created by the Premier League’s rule limiting squads to twenty players for matchday selection.
Arteta said: “Well, I wish we could have him here, but we have a limitation with the numbers we have.”
Mikel Arteta draws a line between promise and reward
Despite the frustration building around Dowman’s lack of senior minutes, Arteta was quick to offer real reassurance rather than empty words during his press conference. He added: “Max will have his chance. He will have his minutes and he will have to earn them like anybody else.” This makes it clear that a reputation built at youth level will only carry a player so far inside a Premier League environment.
Arteta went further, explaining exactly why the club continues investing so much faith and coaching attention into developing the young forward. “You know the talent that we have, the players that we have there, we need to help him and find a way to make sure he continues to develop.”
Dowman became the youngest player ever to feature in a league match from the start during Arsenal’s trip to Crystal Palace last season. He became the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history after his strike against Everton at the Emirates Stadium as well.
Dowman’s 2025/26 stats at Arsenal, as per FOTMOB:
Team Matches Minutes Played Goals Assists
Arsenal 13 477 1 0
Arsenal U21 3 208 2 0
Arsenal U19 2 180 4 0
ArsenalArsenal
Dowman shines during Ipswich trip
Tuesday’s Carabao Cup fourth round tie at Portman Road looked like the perfect opportunity for Arteta to finally hand Dowman his first involvement of the campaign. Arsenal arrived at Ipswich chasing a fifth consecutive win since the season began.
Dowman scored a brace as the Gunners progressed with a 4-2 win over Ipswich. This shows that the youngster can make his mark when trusted with minutes. Arteta has consistently used cup competitions to rotate his squad. With a demanding schedule of PL and UCL fixtures either side of this match, there will be more chances the teenager will get to impress from the opening whistle.