Mikel Arteta would be “blind” not to play Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman — and starting him against Brighton in the Carabao Cup would prove he sees the vision.
Dowman, 15, could start against Fabian Hurzeler’s side on Wednesday night after the Arsenal manager ruled out Gabriel Martinelli.
Max Dowman: Arsenal’s next big Hale End graduate?
- Second-youngest player in Premier League history behind teammate Ethan Nwaneri
- Won a penalty on his competitive debut against Leeds
- England Under-19 international with five caps
- Compared to Lamine Yamal and Kaka
Arsenal host Brighton in the Carabao Cup fourth round, and speaking ahead of the clash, Arteta confirmed that defender William Saliba and winger Martinelli will not be fit enough to feature.
“[Saliba] is out. We are assessing him, but he won’t be involved this match,” the Spaniard told reporters.
“[Martinelli] looks as well that he is going to be out. We have to, again, do some more tests and see the extent of the injury.
“But this game is going to be too early for him.”
Arteta added: “We are going to try and manage the minutes and the load as best as possible because we have a lot of games coming up.
“It is very short recovery time which is a bit unusual but we want to remain very competitive.”
Martinelli joining fellow attackers Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke on the sidelines has opened the door for Dowman to start against the Seagulls.
Arteta knows how high the 15-year-old’s ceiling is, and admits that if he doesn’t play him, he’s “blind.”
He said: “If we look at his passport everyday, we never play him. It’s as simple as that. If you look what he does in training you have to play him and if not – I am blind.
“The feeling that I have is that, genuinely, he loves it here. He’s huge Arsenal supporter and his family also. Hopefully for many years he will be with us.”
Dowman can be England’s Lamine Yamal
There is immense pressure on young talent in England, and Dowman’s career must be handled carefully by Arteta — and eventually by the England manager who gives him his first senior call-up.
There’s plenty of attacking talent in the England setup, but that didn’t stop Spain from fast-tracking Lamine Yamal, who is already one of the best players in world football.
As a left-footed right-winger, Dowman has already drawn comparisons to the Barcelona prodigy.
New Arsenal player and Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera recently told The Athletic: “I do not mean to compare, but his style and way of playing is like Lamine Yamal. His movements are Lamine-esque.
“I did not have him on my radar and when I got to (Arsenal’s pre-season tour in) Singapore, he was already training and playing,” he said. “When they told me he was 15, I could not believe it. He really is an incredible player, and I think he is going to be world-class.”
He really is that good. Arteta is right, he would be blind not to play this kid.
📸 Max Dowman in Arsenal training, ahead of Brighton in the cup. 👋🏴 pic.twitter.com/XOGURhE3Vh
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) October 28, 2025
Brighton at home should be Max Dowman’s full Arsenal debut
Dowman played 26 minutes off the bench on his competitive debut against Leeds on August 23, and 27 minutes against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup third round on September 24. Since then, he hasn’t featured for the first team.
It’s important not to put too much pressure on him, but Brighton at home is the perfect time for Dowman’s first Arsenal start.
With Martinelli and Madueke out, and Ethan Nwaneri viewed more as a central midfielder, the only natural right-winger at Arteta’s disposal is Bukayo Saka — who shouldn’t be risked from the start at the Emirates.
With Leandro Trossard starting regularly in the Premier League, Arteta is expected to rotate. The Carabao Cup is, after all, the ideal opportunity for backup players and young talents to get minutes.
With that in mind, this should be Arsenal’s starting XI: Kepa; White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Nwaneri, Norgaard, Merino; Dowman, Gyokeres, Eze.
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