Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has thrown his full support behind teenage sensation Max Dowman as the Gunners prepare for their Champions League clash against Slavia Prague. The 16-year-old midfielder is looking to move past a recent domestic setback and cement his status as one of Europe's brightest young prospects.
Dowman is pushing for a starting spot as Arsenal travel to Czechia to face Slavia Prague. The venue holds special significance for the talented 16-year-old. Exactly one year ago, he made history on the same pitch, becoming the youngest player to feature in the Champions League at just 15 years and 308 days old during a resounding 3-0 victory for the Gunners.
Now, the midfielder is eager for European minutes after a recent dismissal against Fleetwood resulted in a three-match domestic ban. This suspension rules him out of Premier League action until November 29, placing extra importance on his continental opportunities.
Arteta has dismissed concerns over Dowman's recent red card, insisting the setback will serve as a crucial developmental tool. The Arsenal boss praised the teenager's upbeat mentality during recent training sessions.
"That's a chapter that is gone. It's a moment of learning from all of us, and we move on," Arteta explained. "You learn from the not-so-good ones, you have to make sure you learn from the great ones as well. And he's been engaged.
"When you see the kids and today we spent some time together, talking about things in training, he's always super positive. When you're 16 you have a different way of looking at things and treating things, and that's what he brings to the team as well."
Behind the scenes, Arteta is cultivating a brutally honest and supportive relationship with the academy product. The manager believes navigating early adversity will ultimately forge a more resilient player.
"I sit down with him and I just say, have you seen my press conference? What do you think? I'm just honest with him," Arteta revealed. "It's public so we just have this kind of relationship. I think it's the way it should be and if he thinks something different he needs to tell me. That's the relationship we try to build with our players."
Arteta is confident Dowman will use the Fleetwood incident as a catalyst for long-term growth. He noted: "He's in a good place and that at the end is going to come out as a critical point in his career where he needs to learn about something that is going to be happening a few times every game for him.
"This is not something that's going to happen maybe once or twice a season, three or four times per game. Probably he's going to have to go through this kind of moment and he needs to master that because it's part of his game."
Fresh from a statement 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, the reigning Premier League champions arrive in Prague brimming with confidence. Arteta is heavily expected to rotate his squad, presenting Dowman with a golden opportunity to earn his first Champions League start against a Slavia side winless in their last 22 European outings.
If the teenager finds the back of the net, he will rewrite the history books once again. Scoring in Czechia would see Dowman eclipse former Barcelona star Ansu Fati (17 years and 40 days) to become the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history.
