Dowman’s last two performances – a man-of-the-match showing on a boggy pitch against Mansfield Town last weekend, and Saturday’s game-winning intervention against Everton – are all the more remarkable because they were his first senior games since November, after he suffered an ankle injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United.
For all the focus on Dowman’s technical skill, it is the mental side that appears to have impressed Arteta the most. “He does not seem to be fazed by the pressure or his team-mates or the opponent,” Arteta said on Saturday. “I’ve seen a lot of players with talent but at 16, very few that can cope with that level of demand.
“You just have to see him train every single day. Honestly, some of the things that he does, he does it against these defenders that are some of the best in the world. So he can do it against anybody else.”
Every title-winning campaign has a unique moment which comes to define the season. For Arsenal, Dowman’s goal against Everton could be that defining act. Their hope will be that it is simply the first of many such interventions in an Arsenal shirt for the most thrilling young talent in English football.