The Max Dowman conundrum: Mikel Arteta is wrestling with how to balance caution and opportunity New York Times (Online) Amy Lawrence In years to come, when Arsenal reflect upon the defining moments of the 2025-26 title win, one of them will certainly be the cinematic Max Dowman goal. That nine seconds of suspended reality — the time it took for him to nod the ball to himself on the edge of his team's box, shimmy past the last defender near the halfway line, sprint towards an empty goal and roll the ball in right smack in front of a collective emotional outpouring in the North Bank — was spellbinding. “It was incredible,” recalls Mikel Arteta. “It was a beautiful moment. The light that the stadium had. That moment will stay at the Emirates for a long time.” Dowman's goal against Everton in March was a major marker in the season. It symbolised the hope that maybe, just maybe, they could summon enough magic to overcome the ominous fear of blowing it. His cameo that afternoon, when he was sent on like a gambler's last throw of the dice, blew 60,000 minds. Before coming on, Arteta had a few simple words for the 16-year-old: “Go and do your thing and win us the game.” That he did. First with a floated ball laced with danger which ended with a Viktor Gyokeres opener, and then with that crazy breakaway goal. It was a moment befitting a player whose circumstances Arteta describes as unique. “Tell me how many 16-year-olds have played in the last 100 years at this level? It's simple. There are none. Zero. There isn't a single player. That's why he is unique. Otherwise he would be one of some. There's not another case.” Arteta caveats that by pointing out that someone like Lamine Yamal is in a team with a richer and more prolific attacking setup in a less intense league, while someone like Wayne Rooney did not play every three days at the same age with dual Premier League and Champions League challenges. Asking Dowman to do what he did feels incomparable in Arteta's eyes. So, considering he is unique, it is difficult to reconcile that status with the limited opportunities he has had so far this season. There seems to be more reserve now. He has been in the matchday squad consistently, but has not yet had too many outings beyond the Carabao Cup, where he stole the show at Ipswich Town, and will in all likelihood be urged to strut his stuff again at Fleetwood Town in the fourth round on Tuesday. Outside of that competition, he has a total of 14 minutes of action (nine against Brighton & Hove Albion and five against Lille). In last season's run-in, he clocked up 257 minutes across seven of the 15 games from Everton onwards. Game time was peppered more frequently. And somewhere along the way, he was still at school and revising for his upcoming GCSEs. A very rare scenario, and all carefully managed by the club and his family. Dowman will surely feature more prominently now. With Bukayo Saka injured and Christos Tzolis working his way back from a hamstring strain, opportunities should come knocking for a player who is usually used on the right wing, but can work from the left, and it is worth noting his man-of-the-match display at Ipswich came as a central playmaker. A fixture against Everton at the Emirates this weekend definitely has a ring to it for him. Assuming Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze don't play every minute of every game coming up soon, Dowman is the obvious alternative. Then it is up to him to seize the initiative. “He needs more minutes to do that,” Arteta says. “It's a lot to ask him to provide when he does not have a lot of minutes. It's very difficult, probably unfair. But the moment that he starts to have more minutes and games, I think he's going to be able to do that because historically that's what he's done. The next step is obviously to another dimension and he's more than capable of doing that. “He is someone who really wants to learn and really wants to do it. He just needs the habit, and the habit takes some time. But certainly, what is important is the talent and the freedom and the capacity he has to do the things that are not on a piece of paper. Because he is unique at doing that.” There's that word again. Arteta preaches the significance of patience and a big picture. “First of all, he needs to understand where he is and where we are going to take him. That is clear. It will not be a straight line up. Hopefully yes, but normally it is not like this,” he explains. “He needs to be prepared for that, and in order to do that there will be spikes up, but when the spikes are down, you better be ready because you never know the moment you are needed. That goes for every player. He is in a good place, he is training really well. We know the player we have and we need to give him the right chances and the right moments.” Arteta gives the impression he is wrestling a little with the balance between caution and opportunity when it comes to Dowman. It is something he gives a lot of thought to. Dowman has been in an exceptional situation since he began to play up several age groups while in the academy. One of Arteta's sons, Gabriel, is a similar age and is developing with the club at Hale End, not yet close to the first team. It shines a very clear light for Arteta on the importance of looking after a youngster, and their particular needs and circumstances, in this unforgiving game. If Dowman has been used sparingly so far this season, that is not a decision taken lightly. The physical challenges, while he is still growing, are continually monitored. Psychologically, there can be a different feeling about competition for places, about external scrutiny and expectation, now that he is a fully fledged first-teamer rather than a promoted schoolboy. Talent-wise, there are no doubts, but Arsenal remain intent on honing it and using it carefully.