IN a week when the spotlight was put on the next generation of young footballers waiting in the wings, Max Dowman has once again shone.

The teenager struck twice as a much-changed Arsenal side eased to a 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The 16-year-old’s stock only ever seems to rise, as was the case on Tuesday night following his two-goal masterclass at Portman Road.

Dowman’s first goal arrived on seven minutes when he ended a surging solo run with an assured finish. His second, two-minutes after the restart, saw the midfielder calmly control Martin Zubimendi’s pass in the area and slot home.

Dowman’s brightness was so radiant that it even eclipsed the performance of another of Arsenal’s emerging youngsters, 17-year-old Marli Salmon, who also impressed in the heart of the Gunners’ defence.

Dowman and Salmon’s latest appearances come in a week when Manchester United’s young prodigy, JJ Gabriel, has reportedly asked to leave the club.

The 15-year-old striker, dubbed the “Kid Messi”, sent a formal notice to cancel his registration with United. It comes just days after Gabriel, who had a brief spell at Arsenal during his early youth career, scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut for the Red Devils’ U-19s.

There are rumours swirling around that the wonderkid is unhappy with his lack of first-team opportunities at United.

Mikel Arteta is facing his own conundrums: namely when and how often to play the likes of Dowman and Salmon.

Quizzed after the Carabao Cup win on whether he thinks a 16-year-old can play regularly in the Premier League, the Arsenal boss said: “Everything is possible. The probability is extremely low, because you don’t see players with the capacity to handle the physicality of the game.

“Not only that, but the demands that you have to put your bodies through in the week to be able to be in a good condition to compete, the amount of information, and the challenges that you have to face. But he [Dowman] is doing it, and he’s doing it really well every time he’s got a chance.”

Reflecting on how he can help keep Dowman grounded, not that the player seems to need it, Arteta added: “Well, that’s dependent on what he does on the pitch, it’s not easy, I understand. But what we have to do is look after him – he’s 16 years old, you don’t see that in this league.

“In other leagues in Europe, that’s a totally different context.

“But in this league, with the demands that the league, the players and everything puts on you, we really need to make sure that every time we throw him in, he’s in the right context with the right preparation, and that’s what we are trying to do.”