Arsenal’s 16-year-old sensation Max Dowman added to his hype with a sparkling two-goal display to earn a 4-2 victory at Ipswich in the Carabao Cup third round.
Dowman made headlines last season with a goal and assist during a vital 2-0 win at home to Everton in the Gunners’ Premier League title success, but after four unused substitute appearances during this campaign, he played for the under-21s on Saturday.
Three days later Dowman produced a superb individual goal seven minutes into his first appearance this term before he added another straight after half-time.
It put Mikel Arteta’s rotated team in cruise control and they were momentarily four goals ahead after Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino also found the net before Ipswich rallied to add some respectability to the score.
Anis Mehmeti and Chuba Akpom grabbed consolations for Gary O’Neil’s team, but this night in Suffolk was all about Dowman who showed why he is rated as one of the most exciting talents in English football three months before his 17th birthday.
Arteta had warned Dowman in the build-up that any minutes this season must be earned and the wonderkid needed only seven to make his mark at Portman Road.
Dowman nipped in to intercept before he exchanged passes with Eberechi Eze and proceeded to dance around Cedric Kipre on his way to firing into the bottom corner for a superb solo goal.
An attempted nutmeg on Jacob Greaves failed minutes later for Dowman, who did then play his part in Arsenal’s second goal in the 16th minute.
Pressure by Dowman allowed Bruno Guimaraes to slide in outside Ipswich’s penalty area before Merino chipped through to Madueke and he drilled past Christian Walton.
Arsenal fans were already singing about Wembley but Ipswich responded as Kepa Arrizabalaga clawed away Abdoul Ouattara’s effort before Town’s full debutant Zian Flemming had a volley blocked by 17-year-old Marli Salmon.
Mehmeti fired over soon after for Ipswich but Arsenal ended the half with one final chance when the largely anonymous Viktor Gyokeres turned and had a weak effort saved.
If Gyokeres could be accused of not taking this chance in the Carabao Cup, the same could not be said of Dowman.
The second half was only 98 seconds old when Dowman controlled Martin Zubimendi’s deflected pass and opened up his body to slot into the bottom corner with his left foot.
It made Dowman only the second 16-year-old to score twice for a Premier League team after Wayne Rooney hit a brace in a League Cup tie against Wrexham in 2002.
Two minutes later and Dowman won the ball back from Florentino Luis in the centre circle to show he was not shirking the dirty side of the game.
Arsenal made it 4-0 with 58 minutes played when Merino rifled home off the post after Dowman let Guimaraes’ pass roll into the path of Arsenal’s stand-in captain.
O’Neil turned to his bench and Jack Clarke made an instant impact when he dribbled past Zubimendi before he teed up Mehmeti to side foot into the bottom corner in the 62nd minute.
Arteta kept Dowman on the pitch but no hat-trick chance followed and instead another Arsenal academy graduate in Ipswich forward Akpom had the final say with a smart low finish late on after Leif Davis’ cut back.