Pundit spots a problem with Dowman and Nwaneri coming through at Arsenal

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·26 August 2025

Pundit spots a problem with Dowman and Nwaneri coming through at Arsenal

Arsenal have been nurturing a number of promising talents from their academy, with several young players recently promoted to the first team. The Hale End academy has become a key pipeline for the club, supplying the current squad with at least three teenagers who have made significant strides at senior level.

Among these young players, Ethan Nwaneri stands out as the youngest debutant in Premier League history. He recently turned 18, while Myles Lewis-Skelly belongs to the same age group and is gradually establishing himself in the senior squad. Last weekend, Mikel Arteta handed a debut to Max Dowman, who is only 15 and has been knocking on the first-team door for some time. The coaching staff at the Emirates view Dowman as one of the brightest prospects for the future, and he is expected to take on a larger role as the season progresses.

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Arsenal’s Right-Wing Talent Pipeline

One notable aspect of Arsenal’s youth development is that several of their most promising players occupy similar positions. Both Nwaneri and Dowman primarily operate on the right wing, the same area as Bukayo Saka, who is also a product of the club’s academy. Last season, Nwaneri stepped up effectively in Saka’s absence, while Dowman is likely to seek opportunities in the same role in the coming years.

Jamie Carragher has highlighted a potential challenge for Arsenal regarding this positional overlap. As quoted by Football Insider, he said, “The only problem Arsenal have got is every young player and maybe the best player all play in the same position, so you’ve got Saka, you’ve got him [Dowman] coming through, probably a few years away from being a first team regular, Nwaneri as well probably a similar sort of the position, Odegaard as well. So that’s probably the only downside, but it is fantastic for him and fantastic for the future of Arsenal.”

Max Dowman (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Future Development and Flexibility

While this positional concentration could present a challenge in the short term, it also underscores the quality of Arsenal’s academy and its ability to produce top-level talent. The club are still in the process of developing these young players, meaning that their current positions may not represent their final roles within the team. Flexibility and adaptability will be key as Arteta integrates these prospects into the senior squad, ensuring that both individual careers and the overall strength of the team are optimised.

Arsenal’s commitment to youth development continues to yield promising results, and with careful management, these breakout stars could play pivotal roles in the club’s long-term success.

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