Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
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Teenage attackers who have already shown they can score at senior level often find themselves discussed more seriously once a regular starter faces a lengthy absence. Clubs that have carefully limited a young player’s minutes can still turn to them when the fixture list leaves few alternatives on the wing. Those situations tend to test both the player’s readiness and the manager’s willingness to increase his involvement.
The right side of the attack has been one of the more productive areas of the side in recent seasons. Any extended spell without the usual first-choice option would require others to step forward, including those who have so far featured mainly from the bench or in cup competitions. Early indications suggest the coaching staff are prepared to give the teenager more opportunities if the current concern proves significant.
Arsenal beat Everton on Saturday having already secured a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture last season, a match in which the 16-year-old came off the bench to score and become the youngest scorer in Premier League history.
He has played only 19 minutes in the league this season but scored twice in his only senior start, a Carabao Cup win over Ipswich. He is also expected to feature in the Carabao Cup against Fleetwood on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta has backed Max Dowman to take his game “to another dimension” when he is finally unleashed at Arsenal.
With the Gunners fearing that Bukayo Saka could be out for up to eight weeks with a quad injury, the teenager could have an important role to play in the upcoming matches. Asked if Dowman has the potential to consistently deliver at first-team level, the Gunners boss replied: “He does. He needs more minutes to do that. It’s a lot to ask him to provide when he does not have a lot of minutes. It’s very difficult, probably unfair.”
“But the moment that he starts to have more minutes and games I think he’s going to be able to do that because historically that’s what he’s done. The next step is obviously to another dimension and he’s more than capable of doing that.” Arteta admitted Dowman would be justified in thinking he has deserved more first-team opportunities, but the Spaniard is keen to carefully manage the trajectory that he is on.
“He needs to understand where he is at and where we are going to take him,” Arteta said. “And that is clear. It will not be a straight line up. Hopefully yes, but normally it is not like this. He needs to prepare for that but to have the spikes up and when the spikes are down, you better be ready because you never know the moment you are needed and there is no time to say, ‘no but I lack this’. That goes for every player but he is in a good place, he is training really well. When he had to play with us or the Under-21s he was the same and the same with the national team. We know the player we have and we need to give him the right chances and the right moments.”
Arteta added: “He’s a huge player for us, for our future, and probably he deserves more, so I accept that.” The England youth international also scored for the Under-19 side over the international break, though he was later sent off against the United States. His development remains a key focus as Arsenal assess how best to cover for Saka while continuing to protect the teenager’s long-term progress.