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Arsenal take on Brighton this weekend looking to make it eight wins in a row in all competitions, and Mikel Arteta has used his pre-match press conference to send a message to the club's youngsters.
Asked whether 16-year-old Max Dowman could now be in line for more regular starts following his stunning performance at Ipswich in midweek, Arteta made it clear that the teenager's form has done the talking for him.
"That's the best way to knock on the door - to do it on the pitch, not in the office," the Spaniard said.
Max Dowman
Max Dowman
"I think with that you're just left out of arguments when a player delivers constantly on the pitch every single day in training. That's the best way, that's the best signal for the manager, that's the best signal for his teammates as well that they will demand that player play and what Max did the other day amongst all the players as well that haven't played that many minutes, was really impressive."
The Hale End starlet's performance came just 24 hours after rivals Manchester United saw their own plans to unleash an academy talent in the League Cup thrown into chaos.
15-year-old JJ Gabriel was supposed to feature for the Red Devils in their defeat to Brighton, but having sent the club formal notice that he wants to cancel his registration, United now face the prospect of losing one of the most highly rated academy players in Europe.
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Arteta vows to keep Arsenal's youngsters "in-house"
Ahead of the clash with Brighton, Arteta was asked about the challenge of keeping youngsters at the club in a not-so-subtle nod to the crisis at Old Trafford.
The Gunners boss also touched on the role the wider squad plays in backing young players through big moments, pointing to how Arsenal's senior players reacted to Dowman's performance against Ipswich.
"You cannot coach that," he said. "I think you have it or you don't, because it's a split-second, a very emotional reaction when you are in the middle of the game, and I absolutely loved it, because we've all been there, and just encouraging the confidence that it gives to a 16-year-old to go again and deliver in the next action, it's huge."
Could JJ Gabriel join Arsenal?
JJ Gabriel in action for Man Utd
Action Images/Andrew Boyers
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that several major English and European clubs are monitoring Gabriel's situation at United. The teenager does have history with Arsenal, having spent some time with the club as a youngster.
However, Spain currently appears to be the front-runner, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both said to be watching closely, while Bayern Munich and PSG have also made calls to understand the player's circumstances.
The emergence of Dowman could certainly play a factor in Arsenal's favour too, with Arteta clearly willing to trust and back a teenager on the biggest stages. It may be exactly the kind of proof Gabriel and his camp need that his path to superstardom, and silverware, could be just as clear at the Emirates as anywhere else in Europe.
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