Arsenal were made to work hard by Sporting CP in the Champions League.
It was a tight game between the two sides, so much so that Kai Havertz’s late goal in the first leg proved to be enough to seal qualification for the semi-final.
Arsenal deserve a lot of credit for controlling large parts of the game, and their fighting spirit was there for everyone to see as well.
One moment, in particular, showed how much the players want it, and it involved Gabriel Magalhaes having a go at young Max Dowman.
Who was your Man of the Match vs Sporting CP?
Max Dowman’s reaction after Gabriel Magalhaes shouted at him speaks volumes
Arsenal weren’t tested a lot by Sporting CP on Wednesday.
The Portuguese giants were kept at bay for large parts of the game, and they didn’t really get close to threatening David Raya’s goal.
The Arsenal defenders deserve a lot of praise for that, and Gabriel, who is the leader at the back, set the standards high himself.
In the second half at the Emirates, after a throw-in directly into the box, the ball fell to Joao Simoes at the edge of the box, and he managed to get the shot away.
As he did, Havertz, Piero Hincapie and Gabriel all threw their bodies in the way to throw him off, and they succeeded as Simoes’ shot went wide.
One player who was close but didn’t get near enough to the Sporting CP man to make a challenge was young Dowman.
Gabriel was not happy with that. The Arsenal defender could be seen screaming at Dowman, pointing at the shot and showing him how his body position was.
Most youngsters would just take it and apologise, but the 16-year-old could be seen standing his ground and arguing back to Gabriel.
That takes a lot of courage, which is very rare to see in a player so young.
What do you think will happen when Arsenal take on Man City?
Max Dowman must start for Arsenal against Manchester City
Arsenal could be without a senior right-winger when they take on Manchester City on Sunday.
Bukayo Saka has not played since the Carabao Cup final, while Noni Madueke was forced off the pitch after a painful knee injury.
It remains to be seen if either player can make it back for the clash at the Etihad Stadium, but irrespective of that, we think Dowman should start.
Yes, playing a 16-year-old in the biggest game of the season is a risk, but the Arsenal academy star has shown that he is more than capable of holding his own against players much older than him.
We think Dowman could provide the spark Arsenal need to get a positive result on Sunday.
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