Arsenal beat Mansfield Town in the FA Cup, and Max Dowman was one of the stars of the show.
The Gunners were nowhere near their best at Field Mill, but they still managed to get the job done thanks to goals from Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.
As good as the goal scorers were, the Arsenal player of the match award was given to young Dowman, whose performance must have sent a big message to Mikel Arteta.
Rate Marli Salmon and Max Dowman’s performances vs Mansfield Town!
Mikel Arteta must play Max Dowman more after his performance for Arsenal vs Mansfield Town
The attacking midfield or the right-sided-eight role has been a problem position for Arsenal for large parts of this season.
Martin Odegaard is the main man there, but injuries have troubled him all campaign, and his form has not been great either.
Eberechi Eze is the other option in that role, but apart from his two brilliant performances against Tottenham Hotspur, he has had his problems too.
Max Dowman had mostly played as a right-winger for Arsenal this season, but he was deployed in Odegaard’s position against Mansfield Town on Saturday.
The 16-year-old created two chances and had five shots at goal. He could’ve easily scored twice but was denied by good saves from the goalkeeper.
That performance must act as a real message to Arteta that Dowman is ready for the big stage. Yes, he is too young to play every game, but he is more than good enough to get a few minutes here and there.
With many games still to come, we think the Arsenal boss must start using Dowman in midfield – even if it is only off the bench more often than not.
That, in our opinion, will solve the issue the Gunners have been facing in that position.
Be honest: What did you make of Max Dowman’s performance vs Mansfield Town?
What Mikel Arteta said about Max Dowman after his ‘exceptional’ performance
Dowman became Arsenal’s youngest-ever player in FA Cup history after getting the nod against Mansfield Town on Saturday.
The 16-year-old only returned from his ankle injury a few weeks ago, but he showed no fear and was ready to take everyone on at Field Mill.
Like every Arsenal fan, Arteta was hugely impressed by Dowman and branded his performance as ‘exceptional’ after the game.
He said, as per Arsenal.com: “Well, I’m very proud of him, very proud as well of Marli, obviously, two 16-year-olds, starting in the FA Cup. That tells us a lot about them, their personality and the quality that they have.
“And Max, yeah, I think he was exceptional.”
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