Mikel Arteta believes the emergence of 16-year-old Max Dowman has inspired Arsenal's squad and boosted their pursuit of silverware this season. Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he scored as a substitute in Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton, stretching Arsenal's lead over Manchester City to nine points.
The teenager, who also became the youngest player to appear in the Champions League in November, is likely to be on the bench for Tuesday's last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen. Arteta hopes Martin Ødegaard will return for the Carabao Cup final against City on Sunday.
Asked if Dowman's youthful enthusiasm could rub off on a squad chasing an unprecedented quadruple, Arteta said: "It's very inspiring when you see someone almost naive making decisions and flowing and careless playing in that manner. It's great. Playing with that flow and enthusiasm is very beneficial for the team."
Riccardo Calafiori praised Dowman's goal as "maybe the best moment of the season" but urged patience. "He's so young, but at the same time so mature on the pitch. He can improve many things, but he's a talent. We have to leave him quiet and try not to speak about him too much," Calafiori said.
Wayne Rooney, the previous record holder, questioned whether Dowman's GCSE commitments could affect his playing time during the title run-in. Arteta acknowledged the challenge but praised Dowman's attitude. "I didn't expect that kind of goal, but his attitude and decision making, yes. He is knocking on the door at 16, saying: 'I am good enough,'" Arteta said.
When asked if Dowman could be a contender for England's World Cup squad, Arteta said: "Let's go game by game, please."
