The wait is finally over for Arsenal fans as Mikel Arteta’s side face Manchester United in the Premier League opener.
Arteta has claimed that Viktor Gyokeres is ‘unique’ around Europe for his goalscoring ability and the Swede is set for his first competitive appearance for the club.
Martin Zubimendi is fit to start in midfield and he is expected to continue his flourishing partnership with Declan Rice in the middle of the park.
Tough decisions will need to be made in both full back areas but one surprise name in the squad could be a player that Jamie Redknapp thinks is the next Wayne Rooney.
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney has predicted where Arsenal will finish in the Premier League this season
Jamie Redknapp thinks Max Dowman reminds him of Wayne Rooney
Speaking to Sky Sports, pundit Redknapp has claimed that Arsenal youngster Max Dowman reminds him of when Rooney burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old.
Arsenal fans think Dowman could feature against Manchester United after he was excluded from the u21 squad for their recent game.
Redknapp stated: “Max Dowman is probably the best young player. I mean I played against Wayne Rooney at 16, 17 years of age for his debut and I was playing for Tottenham.
“I remember standing and looking at him in the tunnel thinking this kid is different and I’ve not seen a buzz around anyone since Wayne like this young man.
“I’ve known Max since he was about six, seven years of age and I remember seeing him many years ago and I remember thinking this kid is just different, left footed, he’s got such balance.
“Obviously they’ve got so many good players in that area with Saka, Nwaneri and Odegaard but he will make a break through this year. He is too good.”
Mikel Arteta has praised the work of Arsenal’s academy
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United, Arteta has praised the work of the Hale End academy.
Arteta stated: “That shows the great work that has been done in the academy throughout the years, especially because those players have come to the first team and performed at the highest level without any professional experience.
“That’s a very different case from any other player at a big club who has been playing at 17, 18, 19, 20 with many other experiences before that such as on loan or playing at different teams.
“So that shows again what the academy has done, the preparation of these boys, the maturity of these boys, and also the quality that we have in this squad to support the young players, to feel so comfortable immediately to perform at the highest level. So it’s a compliment for everybody at the club.”
Dowman was magnificent during the pre-season campaign and caught the eye with his attacking intent – he won two penalties against Newcastle and Villarreal.
The likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly also made a huge breakthrough last season and if the Gunners can keep producing incredible home-grown talent, it will only make them stronger moving forward.
It allows the club to spend money on bigger names in the transfer market as the academy talents are good enough to compete for a place in the first-team squad.
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