Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Arsenal will return to Premier League action at the Emirates Stadium this weekend when they take on Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, looking to bounce back from a surprise defeat last time out.
The Gunners had started the season with six wins from six games before they went to the AMEX Stadium before the international break and were handed a thrashing, losing 3-0 in a result that somewhat flattered them on the day.
The international break arguably came at a good time, with the team allowed to refresh following a bad result, but Mikel Arteta has been hit with a few injury blows in the three weeks that have followed, leaving him with some big decisions to make.
Declan Rice withdrew from the England squad for load management reasons, while Ezri Konsa was sent home after three games due to a thigh injury he aggravated after playing twice. Striker Kai Havertz was also injured while playing with Germany, William Saliba remains sidelined due to a back injury he aggravated at the World Cup, and Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera are pushing to return following injuries of their own.
But one of the biggest blows during the break was the hamstring injury suffered by Greece winger Christos Tzolis, which is expected to see him miss a number of weeks as a result.
The left-wing has been a position that was significantly weakened during the summer transfer window, with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli both leaving the club, and Tzolis had made the role his own so far in this campaign.
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But after suffering an injury, there is a chance for someone else to step into his place for the coming games, and there are a number of candidates.
Eberechi Eze is seen as the other 'natural' option for the role, but he has regularly struggled to make an impact off the left, and wasn't good for England when playing in that role against Czechia at Wembley. Noni Madueke is yet to start in the Premier League this season, but he was left out of the England squad due to poor form, and is much better playing off the right.
Arteta has got other options, and with everything considered, this feels like the perfect game to get Max Dowman in from the start to show what he can do.
'Incredible' Dowman is Ready to Start
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Dowman made his debut as a 15-year-old last season against Leeds United in a dominant 5-0 win, and has gone from strength to strength since.
Now 16, he has become an established member of the first-team at the Emirates, although he has only played nine minutes of Premier League football so far this term.
His performance against Ipswich in the EFL Cup earlier this season did see him score twice and shine, with Arteta singing his praises after the game.
"Max, it's inevitable to talk about him when he scores and creates the moments that he has tonight.
"It's normal. He can deliver those actions effortlessly, I would say. That's his biggest quality.
"He's an unbelievable player because of the character he has and how much he loves to play at the biggest stage and handle the situation so naturally."
Dowman is played the majority of his games from the right, but Jack Wilshere has recently stated that he expects the talented teenager to eventually play more centrally due to his dribbling ability and quality with both feet.
While putting him in on the left may not be the ideal position for him, his quality means it won't be too difficult for him, and he will have some freedom to drift around and link up with his teammates.
It's quite clear that Dowman is more than ready to make an impact on the starting lineup for Arsenal, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get that chance, with Eze and Madueke having done nothing to earn that spot.
Mikel Arteta Arsenal 2026
Mikel Arteta Arsenal 2026