'Superstar' Dowman shows his class - but Arsenal know caution is needed

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Breaking into the Arsenal first team will be a tough task for Dowman especially when the Premier League champions are in such fine form.

Arsenal have won all seven games this season, across four competitions.

Dowman was an unused substitute in four of those games, and not involved for the other two, before playing all 90 minutes against Ipswich Town.

The Gunners have played the same attackers in each league game so far - Bukayo Saka, Christos Tzolis, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.

But Dowman, especially considering Arteta turned to him in key moments in last season's title race, will hope to gain more of a supporting role.

"He's an unbelievable talent," team-mate Mikel Merino told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He will be a star in the future if he keeps his eyes and ears open and keeps learning.

"He's just 16 so he needs a lot of coaching, especially tactically. But I can't take anything away from him. He's always keen to learn. We'll keep helping him."

Quite possibly the best 16-year-old in the world, it is not unthinkable that he could earn his way into England's Euro 2028 thinking.

In fact there was even a debate about whether he should be going to the World Cup earlier this year.

"He is a real superstar," said former England defender Conor Coady on Sky Sports.

"A 16-year-old boy should not be doing this. He has got no better manager than Arteta to look after him. You want him to be looked after properly. If he plays every game at this age, he won't be scoring goals like this."

And it comes on the day it emerged highly rated 15-year-old striker JJ Gabriel is on the verge of leaving Manchester United.

Gabriel had been expected to make his debut in Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie with Brighton.

That will probably deny him the opportunity to break up the stat that the three youngest players to score in the League Cup for a Premier League side all did so for Arsenal.

They are Cesc Fabregas (16y 212d v Wolves, 2003), Dowman (16y 258d v Ipswich) and Jack Wilshere (16y 266d v Sheffield United, 2008).

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