Max Dowman was Arsenal’s best player in their defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup.
The Gunners were second-best and deservedly lost the game. They have gone from dreaming of the quadruple to getting knocked out of two competitions in the space of two games.
Mikel Arteta was clearly disappointed with the result after the game, but he fully backed his players and blamed himself for the defeat.
That is the right thing to do as the manager, but the Arsenal boss must have one major concern after watching Dowman’s display on Saturday.
Who was the worst performer for Arsenal against Southampton?
Alarm bells must be ringing at Arsenal because of Max Dowman
Max Dowman is regarded as one of the best young players in the world, and his performance against Southampton showed exactly why.
The teenager showed no fear on the ball from the very first minute, and he was the most dangerous player on the pitch at the St Mary’s Stadium.
What was great to see was many senior Arsenal players looking to find Dowman every time they got the ball. That shows the level of trust they have in him.
However, what is a concern is the fact that a 16-year-old was the best player on the pitch in a team filled with grown men.
This is not the first time this has happened, either. Dowman’s last three appearances for Arsenal have been against Southampton, Everton and Mansfield Town.
The teenager was better than anyone else in the two FA Cup fixtures, and he changed the game and helped Arsenal win the Premier League clash against the Toffees.
It is really exciting that Dowman has been able to play at the highest level in those fixtures, and it shows that he will become a superstar one day.
However, alarm bells should be ringing in the heads of Arsenal’s decision-makers after seeing a 16-year-old being levels above some of their highest-paid players.
16-year-old Max Dowman was Arsenal’s best player vs Southampton. Is that good news or should the other players be embarrassed?
Max Dowman doesn’t need the pressure of being Arsenal’s best player
Dowman, or any other 16-year-old, should be allowed to play football with all the freedom in the world.
Players of such a young age should be given time to adapt to the senior game and have no pressure on their shoulders whatsoever.
However, Dowman, who John Terry already wants in the senior England squad, could soon feel the burden of being Arsenal’s best player.
That cannot be a good thing for someone so young, which is why Arteta needs to get his senior players to step up and perform a lot better.
If that doesn’t happen, Arsenal can kiss their Premier League and Champions League dreams goodbye while also having a negative impact on Dowman’s development.
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