Arsenal prodigy Dowman's debut caps glorious day for Gunners

At 15 and 235 days Max Dowman has announced himself on the Emirates stage




Arsenal prodigy Dowman's debut caps glorious day for Gunners

 At 15 and 235 days Max Dowman has  announced himself on the Emirates stage

Arsenal 5–0 Leeds – Timber, Gyökeres, and Dowman steal the show

So much positivity in the air from yesterday, so much to discuss and dissect and Max Dowman…take a bow!

At fifteen years old and 235 days he has already announced himself on the Emirates stage, playing like it was his own front garden kickabout.

From the very first whistle, the fans were in full voice and then with the announcement of Eberechi Eze in that manner, just before kick-off , had the whole stadium rocking even more.

A hero’s welcome for Eze and you would hope, a match made in heaven. Taking the number 10 shirt, he is in very esteemed company and he’ll be looking to emulate the heights of Messiers Bergkamp and Ozil.

Regarding the Eze signing I think the whole episode was real touch of class from Arsenal, the conduct from both player and club, and the way it was announced to the home crowd -it is the sort of signing that makes you dream a little bigger.

Arsenal started brightly, buoyed by the supporters but with no breakthrough after 20 minutes, Leeds began to take a foothold in the game as they started to settle, which allowed their fanbase to find their voice. If not for a fantastic point blank save from David Raya, Leeds may even have taken the lead.

That moment felt like a turning point: once the first goal went in, you sensed the floodgates would creak open and my word, didn’t they? It took another corner for Arsenal to break the deadlock, with a cute header from Jurrien Timber and then coupled with Saka’s thunderbolt on the stroke of half-time, this all but sealed the deal.

At 2-0, coming into the second period, there was just one thing missing and we only had to wait three minutes after the restart for the moment everyone craved: Gyökeres’ first Premier League goal in an Arsenal shirt, complete with a celebration that sent the North Bank into delirium.

Timber was everywhere — scoring twice (another from a corner), creating, marauding. He played like a man on a mission, part defender, part No. 10, part superhero. It’s going to be an interesting battle for places this season, and particularly the full back berths. This can only increase top level competition to push each individual to maintain the high standards needed to make another assault on the league title.

Of course, Arsenal never give us ninety minutes of pure bliss without a twist.

The injuries to Saka and Ødegaard cast a long shadow, though they paved the way for Ethan Nwaneri and, most notably, the fearless Dowman, to showcase their talents. His darting run to win the penalty showed no hint of nerves, just raw talent and belief. Dowman even had a chance to put the icing on the cake for his debut, but his faded shot just flashed past of the post.

Gyökeres’ second from the spot wrapped up an almost perfect today and the masked celebration is now cemented into Gooners’ hearts!

The football itself was glorious — crisp passing, ruthless finishing, a swagger that suggests there’s more to come.

And that’s the scary thing: Arsenal aren’t firing on all cylinders yet.

The biggest tests are still ahead. And remember: Eze hasn’t even kicked a ball yet…


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