Two games into Arsenal’s pre-season tour, two wins against AC Milan and Newcastle, but one key takeaway - Max Dowman.
The 15-year-old attacker from the club's Hale End academy is already lighting up games with the big boys.
Pre-season is the perfect time for academy players to get their chance and showcase what they can do to audition for cup appearances within the season or for a loan move.
But it’s rare that players stand out as much as Dowman, let alone at his age.
The English youngster has featured off the bench in both games, coming on for Bukayo Saka on the right wing and has shone in both, dazzling with his directness, close control and confidence to take on a defender and shoot.
He impressed in a 24-minute cameo against AC Milan, but it was his 30-minute display against Newcastle that really sticks in the mind, running Joelinton ragged and ultimately winning the penalty that secured Arsenal the victory.
The last young player who made this level of impact in pre-season friendlies was Emile Smith Rowe, who went on to take the number 10 shirt and play a prominent role in the first team.
And if Dowman can replicate or even surpass that level, it’d be another huge win for the academy.
While Dowman is grabbing the headlines, 15-year-old centre-back Marli Salmon has also seized the opportunity, deputising for mentor William Saliba and flashing a mix of confident defending with impressive long-range passing.
Two Hale End academy players poised to make a breakthrough together. It’s a familiar pattern, following in the footsteps of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri who both burst onto the scene last season and stamped their mark on the first-team squad.
Meanwhile, Saka is starting to look like the wise old head of the group, representing the pinnacle of what’s possible from the academy.
Last season, Manchester United poached both Chido Obi Martin and Ayden Heaven, promising higher wages and a different pathway to the first team.
But make no mistake about it, Arsenal are continuing to bring through some of the best young players in the country and in Dowman and Salmon, they have the next generation, while the current generation continues to thrive.
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