Arsenal’s Hale End graduates rose to wake the Gunners from their slumber and seal a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
After a tepid first half which Brighton should have profited from, squandering a couple of clear-cut chances at goal, the Gunners kicked back into their usual gears in the second period to see off Brighton via strikes from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka.
Nwaneri neatly finished into the corner after a crisp pass by Myles Lewis-Skelly, before substitute Saka added a second goal, on a night featuring four of Arsenal’s academy products in the starting line-up.
The north London club may well be favourites for the Premier League title by the estimations of many, yet silverware of any kind would surely be welcome — temporarily, anyway, with major trophies their real focus this season.
Dowman shines on night of Hale End products on show
The superlatives around wonderkid Max Dowman cease to run out.
Arsenal triumphed 2-0 over Brighton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday
Arsenal’s 15-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman put in a special performance on the night
While many starlets impressed, it was Dowman who raised the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ at the Emirates
Dowman became the youngest player to start a match for a Premier League side in all competitions, aged 15 years and 302 days.
While Andre Harriman-Annous, 17, made his first-team debut, having yet to make the Arsenal first-team squad before in a competitive match.
They joined fellow Hale End products Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, who also started.
Yet it was Dowman who raised the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the Emirates, mesmerised by a youngster with magic in his boots.
Arteta was effusive, saying: ‘For him everything is natural, it’s the way he plays.
‘I think that’s the secret, that he doesn’t make a big fuss of it. He just does what he does best which is to play football with a lot of courage and determination. And today again, he’s shown some incredible skill, some capacity to run past players at that level at 15, it’s something definitely special.’
The way he kept attacking the man in front of him was beyond his tender years, driving forward without a care.
There were a number of times when he cut inwards or reached the byline and nearly breached the Brighton defence.
The teenager proved he is more than ready to play a crucial role in Mikel Arteta’s first team
The trust instilled in him could be seen by the way Ben White kept looking for Dowman on the right wing, mirroring his typical link-up play with Saka.
Dowman agreed scholarship terms with the north London club last week for when he turns 16 in December, a small step along what looks set to be a long, prosperous journey in the red and white colours of Arsenal.
Carabao Cup a route to further Arsenal silverware
Tipped by many as title favourites, the lack of recent trophies at Arsenal has been a topic of contention on occasion.
Their last trophy dates back to the Gunners’ FA Cup scalp in 2020. You have to go back to 1993 for Arsenal’s last League Cup success.
Mikel Arteta’s 2025-26 campaign would not be defined by winning one of these two trophies. Of course not. The Spaniard will be judged by whether he can win the league after going so close in the previous three seasons, or conquering Europe in the Champions League.
Ethan Nwaneri (above) scored the opening goal for the Gunners before Bukayo Saka’s strike
Trophies, though, can be contagious. One can bring two, or at least some temporary joy for supporters starved of silverware in recent times.
Arsenal have the depth to go deep across all competitions; Arteta’s 10 changes last night was a reflection of this.
They weren’t at their best, yet got through anyway. Not many teams have the sheer calibre of players to do this.
It’s also a way for Arteta to try appease the likes of seasoned players such as White, who can’t find a way into the usual starting line-up.
White, one of the more seasoned players in this line-up, played well. He relished his opportunity and showed signs of what he’s produced before being troubled by a knee injury.
Arteta’s Gunners have the squad depth to go all the way in the Carabao Cup this campaign
Kepa the deputy has plans
Since his initial loan move from Brentford in the summer of 2023, made permanent a year later, David Raya has made the Arsenal No1 spot his own.
There’s the consecutive Premier League Golden Glove awards in his first two seasons with the Gunners, featuring a slew of acrobatic saves along the way.
Though having had an understudy in Neto last season who was far off his level, the Spaniard has fellow compatriot Kepa Arrizabalaga as competition this time around — and last night gave an indication that, unlike Neto, he is keen to not just make up the numbers.
Kepa made a couple of neat saves early on, denying Georginio Rutter who was through one-vs-one in the eighth minute as he spread himself wide.
He also contributed to Stefanos Tzimas skewing the ball wide on a break which Brighton should have scored from.
There were some shaky moments on the ball when under pressure, skewing it out for throw-ins or the odd mistimed pass.
So not perfect, but signs of an able deputy goalkeeper which will please Arteta.
