It's Definitely Something Special – Max Dowman Rewrites Arsenal History Again

Arsenal teenage prodigy Max Dowman added another record to his name on Wednesday but according to manager Mikel Arteta,  the 15-year-old is taking the mounting pressure and historic achievements all in his stride.

The dynamic winger continues to generate immense excitement at the Emirates, proving his talent far outstrips his age.

Dowman etched his name into the club's history books yet again during the EFL Cup victory over Brighton.

At just 15 years and 302 days old, he became the youngest player ever to start a match for Arsenal, anchoring a youthful side that advanced in the competition.

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Dowman is already the second-youngest player to ever represent the club and the second-youngest to feature in the Premier League, having made his debut from the bench in August's 5-0 win against Leeds. Both of those records are held only by his teammate, Ethan Nwaneri.

When asked how the teenager reacted to hearing he would be starting his first senior match, Arteta revealed Dowman's exceptionally calm and natural demeanor.

"A tiny smile, that's what you get with him," Arteta said.

"For him everything is natural, for him everything is OK. It's the way he plays and that's the secret, that he doesn't make a big fuss of it. He just does what he does best, which is to play football."

Arteta, who made 10 changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace, elaborated on the qualities that make Dowman stand out, highlighting not just his mentality but his technical prowess against seasoned professionals.

"To play football with a lot of courage and determination and today again, he has shown some incredible skill, some capacity to run past players at that level in the Premier League at 15. It's definitely something special."

Dowman, who has been training with the first team since he was 14, backed up his manager's assessment. He was a constant threat against Brighton, completing the most dribbles of any player on the pitch (five) and drawing the most fouls (four). He also won the most duels (nine), showcasing a readiness that belies his age. One notable run left Brighton's Diego Gomez scrambling in his wake.

He was one of four teenagers in the starting lineup, including Andre Harriman-Annous, who was also making his full debut.

"We made 10 changes, we played players that never played together, yet we made two huge debuts for Max and Andre," Arteta added.

"That feeling of giving the opportunity to somebody and fulfilling a dream is unique, and I'm very happy that things turned out to be very positive, and we managed to win the game."

The spotlight on Dowman is only set to intensify. He has the chance to become the youngest player to ever feature in the Champions League if he makes his debut in the competition before his birthday at the end of the year.

When asked if the youngster believes he is ready for that stage, Arteta was clear, but cautious.

"For sure, if you ask him, for sure," the manager said.

"That's what we have to manage and not only that, there's a lot of things that are new in his life, we discussed that a few days ago. We have to make sure that he takes the right steps and he needs be able to cope with it, too, because it's happening very, very fast and we all need to be aware of that. Let's encourage him to keep going that way, but let's protect him as well."

It was a banner evening for Arsenal's famed Hale End academy. Harriman-Annous, 17, played a significant role in the second goal, while 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly combined with fellow graduate Nwaneri for the opener.

"Myles as well, Ethan scoring a goal, Bukayo [Saka] scoring a goal - so two academy graduates taking us to the quarter-finals," Arteta concluded.

 "Again, it was a special emotional evening."