Arsenal open their Carabao Cup campaign away to League One side Port Vale.
A magical cup tie awaits the Gunners, who will head to Vale Park to commence their journey in the 2025/26 Carabao Cup.
Mikel Arteta is set to rotate his team to face Port Vale, following on from Arsenal’s late 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
Some expect Gabriel Martinelli to start against Port Vale, in what could be a very strong Arsenal XI, but all eyes are on whether 15-year-old Max Dowman could feature.
What Port Vale manager Darren Moore said about Max Dowman ahead of Carabao Cup clash
Port Vale have already reacted to Arsenal’s team news, responding to William Saliba and Bukayo Saka returning on the weekend to face Man City.
Within the dressing room, however, it’s Dowman who has been discussed, as Port Vale manager Darren Moore suggested when speaking live on talkSPORT.
“He’s a top, top talent,” Moore said when asked about Dowman.
“He’s a real star in the making, and he’s somebody that I’m sure Mikel’s got at his disposal, and he’ll decide whether he’ll have any participation in the starting team [vs Port Vale].”
The Port Vale manager went on to reveal that his side already knows one thing about the 15-year-old ahead of possibly facing him.
“One thing we do know is he’s a top, top talent,” Moore admitted.
Dowman has played 27 minutes of Premier League football already this season, and now, he could be on course to make his full debut for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta admits Dowman needs to ‘change’
Arsenal fans would love to watch Dowman every week, but Arteta has stressed that patience is key.
Being only 15, the teen’s life isn’t just football, it’s education and balancing what his body can handle, with the Arsenal manager giving an insight into Dowman’s schedule.
“We need to change his times, we need to change his education, probably his allocation and where he is with his family,” Arteta explained in his pre-match press conference.
“His diet is different, his sleep patterns become different, the training load is different, the amount of information, pressure, and exposure is different. So we have to manage a lot of factors.”
The boss emphasised that the jump from academy to first team football isn’t just about the game, with the 2009-born star having to factor in other parts of his life, too.
It’s a fascinating story and one that Arsenal fans will hope to see continue against Port Vale.
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