Arsenal's 16-year-old Dowman scores twice as Merino likens him to Lamine Yamal

Dowman shines at Portman Road

Arsenal beat Ipswich Town 4-2 away in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night to advance in the competition. The standout performer was 16-year-old Max Dowman, handed his first start of the season by manager Mikel Arteta, who responded with a brace. He opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a solo run past several defenders, then added a second in the 47th minute after latching onto a pass from Martin Zubimendi. Noni Madueke (16th minute) and Mikel Merino (58th minute) scored Arsenal's other goals, while Ipswich pulled two back through Anis Mehmeti and Chuba Akpom. Sky Sports reported the win sent Arsenal into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, while the Guardian described it as reaching the last 16 – both refer to the same stage of the competition.

Compared to Lamine Yamal

Merino, who plays alongside Yamal for the Spain national team, said after the match that Dowman's character reminds him of the 19-year-old Barcelona winger. "There are some similarities in terms of their character. They don't care about the spotlight. They thrive when pressure is at the highest. They are always up for the challenge and are not shy at all, even facing the biggest names in the game," Merino said, adding that both players remain notably humble and eager to learn from senior teammates.

Arteta urges caution

Manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged it is not easy to manage the hype surrounding Dowman. "He's 16 years old, and we need to be really cautious with that. We don't want to stop him, but we need to develop him," Arteta said, stressing that the club must ensure Dowman is prepared, both physically and mentally, whenever he is called upon. Arteta also praised 17-year-old defender Marli Salmon, who impressed on his appearance against Ipswich, as well as Merino's growing leadership role within the squad.

Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil said his side had been "punished" by a "very good, clinical" opponent, though he took some encouragement from his team's late fightback, which brought the scoreline closer than the run of play had suggested.