Arsenal‘s Hale Finish academy has lengthy been a conveyor belt of expertise and the most recent prodigy to seize the supporters’ creativeness is 15-year-old Max Dowman.
Already producing a buzz throughout the youth soccer scene, Dowman is arguably essentially the most promising Hale Finish graduate since Bukayo Saka, a proven fact that Premier League rivals and Europe’s high golf equipment are completely conscious of.
With Dowman nonetheless too younger to signal knowledgeable contract — he isn’t eligible till he turns 17 — Arsenal face the fragile activity of nurturing his growth, whereas heading off curiosity from opponents. The frustration left by the current exits of Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi to Manchester United stays contemporary and there’s a sturdy need throughout the membership to keep away from shedding one other generational prospect earlier than he has had the possibility to interrupt into the primary staff.
That sense of urgency is not simply hypothesis. Dowman has already outgrown his age teams, producing standout performances within the U18 Premier League final season (15 video games, 15 targets and 5 assists) and for the England youth sides, usually in opposition to opponents three to 4 years older.
His fast ascent continued this summer time as he was taken on Arsenal’s senior preseason tour and put in some extremely spectacular cameos in friendlies in opposition to AC Milan and Newcastle, through which he confirmed only a few indicators of being overwhelmed by the extent of physicality or depth.
Place
Dowman performs primarily as an attacking midfielder or huge playmaker — most frequently from the best, slicing in onto his stronger left foot — and excels in just about each section related to his function and elegance.
Strengths
Dowman’s development with the ball is excellent: He constantly evades stress at tempo, identifies house within the last third, and has the imaginative and prescient to launch his teammates with passes of each timing and precision. His first contact is sensible and his skill to govern the ball with misleading turns and feints recurrently leaves defenders guessing.
What separates Dowman from the everyday precocious dribbler, nonetheless, is how full his recreation already seems. The grace and fluency with which he receives, releases and strikes into house are of such excessive requirements.
What’s extra, there is a rhythmic fluidity to his actions — one-touch combos, fast turns, easy layoffs — that evoke comparisons to Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard on the similar age. And whereas Ødegaard was already closely uncovered to senior soccer in Norway at age 15, earlier than shifting to Actual Madrid, Dowman seems bodily forward, higher outfitted to deal with contact and get well stability in high-speed duels.
Certainly, his energy and physique management have change into key traits.
Senior defenders who confronted him throughout the summer time tour fixtures certainly famous this audacity and resilience: He bounced off challenges, shielded the ball nicely and recovered shortly from contact. Whereas nonetheless growing his body, he is already extremely laborious to mark, as Joelinton and Newcastle discovered this weekend when he received a late penalty after bursting into the field.
Technically, Dowman’s vary of passing is superb and his efforts within the last third are incisive and weighted, whether or not feeding advancing fullbacks, enjoying one-twos across the field or making an attempt disguised via balls. He may also end successfully with both foot, not often needing additional time to shift the ball onto his left (which additionally offers him a bonus when dribbling).
One other of Dowman’s standout qualities is his anticipation. He usually maps out eventualities earlier than receiving possession, studying defensive shapes and adjusting his positioning accordingly. This enables him to beat gamers not simply with pace or ability, however by appearing a second faster — mentally and technically. In possession, he’ll usually toy with urgent defenders via decoy touches, earlier than skipping previous them with a mesmerizing change of tempo.
That was most on present throughout the Gunners’ 3-2 defeat in opposition to Manchester United within the FA Youth Cup quarterfinal in February.
Issues to work on
There are, naturally, areas that require refinement for one so younger.
Although he may be overly bold together with his dribbling — often persevering with ahead when a better launch is on — this slight tendency to overelaborate is mitigated by his capability to constantly acquire floor and break defensive strains.
Dowman additionally is not but an intense presser off the ball and may very well be extra dedicated defensively, notably in monitoring runners and offering secondary stress. Nonetheless, these are frequent traits for gamers his age and can probably enhance as he adjusts to the calls for of grownup soccer.
What subsequent?
Whereas Arsenal have understandably rated Dowman extremely for years, it is his progress over the previous 18 months that has reworked him from a gifted teenager right into a critical candidate for early first-team publicity.
At age 12 to 14, his skill to glide previous his friends with easy dribbling was already drawing comparisons to world-class skills, and such a dominance at youth degree just isn’t essentially uncommon or an infallible indicator of issues to come back. However Dowman has added energy, made his operating more practical and matured tactically to the purpose the place his candidacy for a spot within the first staff is beginning to look attainable.
Whereas he nonetheless has a protracted solution to go in his profession, what he already brings is so superior, easy and instinctive that the thrill round his future feels warranted.
Arsenal have a uncommon gem on their arms and the following two years might be essential to retaining him in North London for the long run.
