Max Dowman underlined why he has managed to break into the Arsenal first team at just 16 with his brace at Ipswich, while Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel rocks the boat at Old Trafford.
The 16-year-old Arsenal star is one of the most promising youngsters in the country and underlined that even more with his sensational performance against Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup. Making his first appearance of the season, the teenager opened the scoring after a sublime bit of skill and a clinical finish. He then combined with Martin Zubimendi after the break to score his second. Dowman was also on hand to tee up Mikel Merino for Arsenal's fourth at Portman Road.
Gary O'Neil's verdict on Dowman
Having watched him at close quarters against his side, Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil is sure that North London is the right environment for the youngster to thrive. Speaking after Tuesday's game, he said: "I've definitely not had a 16-year-old as good as Max Dowman around my group. I think Mikel has so many good players that you can manage Max Dowman however you want really.
"You can give him as much time as he needs. You can drop him in when it fits. If the game got tough for him, you've got Odegaard sat there ready to come on and help if he needs to. I think he's in a great spot. He's got one of the best coaches around. Arsenal are one of my favourite teams to watch and study for the work that Mikel's done there.
"I'm sure the future is bright for him because of the surroundings that he has. It's a very humble team as well, there's no superstars in it. There's no one that doesn't get their work done so I expect Max Dowman to be given the best opportunity to be the best he can be at Arsenal football club."
JJ Gabriel's future in doubt
Dowman's breakout comes at the same time as JJ Gabriel's embryonic Manchester United career is in real jeopardy. The 15-year-old has asked to be released from his Old Trafford contract immediately. That bombshell request came in the same week as boss Michael Carrick was prepared to hand the youngster his debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup. It leaves his United future in serious doubt and any real breakthrough comparable to Dowman's looking highly unlikely.
Dowman's landmark display at Portman Road is not the first time that he has caught the eye. He announced himself last season as he became the Premier League's youngest-ever scorer with his strike against Everton that nudged Arteta's side closer to the title. With Arsenal going on to be successful, Dowman also secured the record of the youngest-ever player to win the Premier League at just 16 years and 139 days old.
Arteta's caution over Dowman
Gabriel, who could realistically have claimed both of those records for himself, has yet to make his debut for United, which could potentially be a driving force behind his request to depart Old Trafford. When asked about his ability last month, United boss Michael Carrick said: "JJ is one of the boys. He's obviously got a really big talent. He's trained with us quite a bit and is getting experience all the time. He's physically adapting to each step, and we're just continuing his development."
Like Carrick, Mikel Arteta has similarly called for caution given Dowman's tender years and has promised that the North London side will not put too much pressure on him too soon, particularly now he is out of full-time education. Asked how he will keep the youngster grounded after the Ipswich win, Arteta said: "Well, dependent if he what he does on the pitch, it's not easy, I understand. But what we have to do is look after him - he's 16 years old, you don't see that in this league. In other leagues in Europe, that's a totally different context.
"But in this league, with the demands that the league, the players and everything puts on you, we really need to make sure every time we throw him in, he's in the right context with the right preparation, and that's what we are trying to do."
He added: "We're going to make sure that when we just throw him there, he's ready to handle that at every level, and it's not just that he can run past somebody. There's a lot more things that we need to look after him, but he will dictate that in terms of how he behaves every single day and how many reasons he gives to play because he's part of our squad, like anybody else, no different. The only thing that we have to manage is that he needs to constantly be aware that he needs to be prepared for what he needs to do."
The spotlight has been intense on Gabriel practically ever since he arrived at United. The Red Devils have since been forced to be cautious with their own teenage talent. Arteta has also underlined a need for Dowman to improve his physicality, his defensive work-rate and his desire to step up as a leader.
Arteta said: "He really wants to do it. The more he plays, the more he trains with us, and the more ready he is physically to sustain that level, he will do it. And that will help him in his attacking phase for sure, because he will force errors and make mistakes on the opponent, and he will then be in a really open situation to exploit his qualities, he knows that. Today is a big example for him as well, and I'm sure that's going to trigger even more will for him to do it.
"You need to be at his level the best in every phase, and we know what he can do when he's in and around the ball, especially the way he's got a bit of space around him. Defensively, on set pieces, it's not only that. His leadership has to increase, his voice has to increase, his role has to increase within the team, in the dressing room. There are a lot of things that you need to grow, but at 16, to already do what he does, it's just incredible."
But the difference between the two is that Dowman is seemingly in the correct place for his burgeoning talent to thrive. The same cannot be said for Gabriel at Man Utd, who believes he would be better served elsewhere. It leaves him having headlines to mull over, as opposed to an upcoming debut.
