Online Reporter
MIKEL ARTETA hailed Max Dowman’s “special” performance after the 15-year-old prodigy became Arsenal’s youngest-ever starter in Wednesday night’s 2-0 win over Brighton in the League Cup fourth round.
Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka scored in the second half at the Emirates Stadium as English Premier League football log leaders Arsenal earned a quarter-final tie at home to Crystal Palace.
But it was Dowman, still two months shy of his 16th birthday, who stole the show with a dazzling display that climaxed when he was given a standing ovation after coming off in the second half.
Gunners boss Arteta was delighted with Dowman’s composed performance, which belied his tender years, even if his shy response to being picked was more in keeping with someone still of school age.
“A tiny smile, that’s what you get with him,” said Arteta when asked how Dowman reacted when he told him he was starting.
“For him everything is natural, for him everything is OK. It’s the way he plays and 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. To play football with a lot of courage and determination and today again, he has shown some incredible skill, some capacity to run past players at that level in the Premier League at 15. It’s definitely something special.”
The highly-rated teenager previously came off the bench in the league against Leeds and Liverpool and the last round of the League Cup at Port Vale.
Having got a taste of starting, Arteta expects Dowman to be pushing for more regular action.
“For sure, if you ask him. That’s what we have to manage and not only that, there’s a lot of things that are new in his life,” he said.
“We have to make sure that he takes the right steps and he needs be able to cope with it, too, because it’s happening very, very fast and we all need to be aware of that.
“Let’s encourage him to keep going that way, but let’s protect him as well.”
Elsewhere, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left fuming over Liam Delap’s late red card in Wednesday night’s 4-3 League Cup win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, his team’s fifth red card in the last nine matches.
Striker Delap, making his comeback from a hamstring injury after nearly two months as a second-half substitute, got booked when he pushed Yerson Mosquera in the 79th minute.
He then fouled Emmanuel Agbadou just seven minutes later and got sent off.
“For sure, today also we had a very stupid red card that is completely unnecessary,” Maresca told reporters.
Asked whether the red card was deserved, the manager said, “Absolutely yes. Stupid foul.”
Maresca said it was “embarrassing” to get a red card like Delap did.
“Because it’s two yellow cards in seven minutes. Both, I think we can avoid,” he said.
“After the yellow card, I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch, he’ll be playing the game for himself and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.”
Maresca had earlier said he did not intend to “punish” players for picking up red cards.
“I have four kids, when they do something wrong, I do not punish them. I try to teach them to do the right things. I try to do this with the players too,” the manager said last week.
Chelsea, ninth in the Premier League, visit Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow.
Slot defends Liverpool selection
Liverpool boss Arne Slot defended his decision to name a much-changed side after a 3-0 League Cup exit to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night extended the Reds’ miserable run.
The English Premier League football champions have now lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions, including their last four in the league.
Slot made his priorities clear before kick-off by making 10 changes, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah left out of the squad completely.
A youthful selection were easily picked off by Palace, who have now beaten Liverpool three times this season.
Ismaila Sarr struck twice in the first half before Yeremy Pino added a third late on after Liverpool substitute Amara Nallo was sent off.
“It’s not Liverpool standards to lose six out of seven,” said Slot, who used a big week ahead as justification for his team selection.
Liverpool will aim to snap their Premier League losing streak against in-form Aston Villa on Saturday.
Real Madrid then visit Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday before a trip to Manchester City on November 9.
“I couldn’t have brought them (the first team regulars) into a situation where they had to go into a week like this.
“We have a game tonight, then it’s only two days to rest, play the next one, only two days’ rest, play Real Madrid and then a few days more Manchester City.
“Everyone can have his opinion about it, but with the squad we have, maybe 15 or 16 first team players available, this is the choice I’ve made.”
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Cardiff vs Chelsea
Man City vs Brentford
Newcastle vs Fulham — AFP Sport.
