Max Dowman’s quick reaction to Viktor Gyokeres’ moment against Ipswich Town says a lot.
Arsenal fans noticed Max Dowman’s reaction to Viktor Gyokeres’ bad pass during their 4-2 win over Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup – and it really shows how confident Max is.
Dowman scored twice for the Gunners as they moved on to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, a competition they reached the final of last year.
Gyokeres played the full game but didn’t score. A moment with him in the first half at Portman Road went viral.
In Ipswich’s half, Gyokeres held the ball, waiting for a pass option. Dowman was closer in, but Gyokeres wanted to pass down the right side to Noni Madueke and waited for his run.
He sent the ball too hard down the line and it went out of play. After that, Dowman looked to the side with a disappointed expression, clearly wishing Gyokeres had passed to him instead. This shows just how confident the 16-year-old is in getting the ball, taking control, and making things happen for Arsenal.
Max showed exactly that in the first half. He took the ball about 40 yards out, dribbled past Ipswich defender Cedric Kipre, ran toward the goal, and calmly scored into the bottom left corner.
His second goal to make it 3-0 was super cool too. He got the ball on the right side of the penalty area and calmly finished past Ipswich’s goalkeeper Christian Walton.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta talked a lot about Dowman after the game and praised the young England player for his great performance. But he also said it’s important to take care of him as he grows in his career.
“That first goal is natural for him,” Arteta said. “He can do things like that easily. That’s his biggest strength.
“Defensively, his effort and ability to keep up with the game at 16 years old is amazing. He can create chances, but doing it all through the game is hard. He’s getting better and better.
“When he plays well, it’s not easy to handle all the hype around him. We understand that. But we have to look after him.
“We need to make sure that every time he plays, he’s ready and in the right environment.
“We won’t just throw him on the field. He needs to be prepared for every challenge, and it’s more than just running past defenders.”