Arsenal continued their flawless start to the campaign with a comfortable Carabao Cup third round win at Portman Road, and it was sixteen year old Max Dowman who grabbed the headlines with a brace.
Dowman, handed a rare start alongside fellow academy product Marli Salmon, wasted little time making an impact. In just the seventh minute, he collected possession in midfield, exchanged passes with Eberechi Eze, and surged forward, skipping past two defenders before slotting the ball beyond the goalkeeper. It was a moment of real quality from a player still finding his feet at senior level.
Noni Madueke doubled the lead soon after, smashing home following a clever flick from Mikel Merino. Dowman then added his second just after the interval, showing calmness beyond his years as he cushioned Martin Zubimendi’s pass before guiding it into the corner. He later turned provider too, setting up Merino, who curled his effort in off the post to make it four.
Ipswich pulled two back through Anis Mehmeti and Chuba Akpom, but the damage had already been done, and Arsenal saw out a routine victory despite fielding a heavily changed lineup, mirroring their opponents’ approach with nineteen alterations between the two sides combined.
Manager Mikel Arteta had said before kickoff that Dowman would need to earn his opportunities like every other player at the club. On this evidence, he has done exactly that. Having previously become the youngest ever Premier League goalscorer against Everton last term, he now joins an elite list, becoming only the second sixteen year old to score twice in a single match for a top flight English club, following in the footsteps of Wayne Rooney’s famous feat for Everton back in 2002.
Arsenal now await news of their next opponents, with the draw for round four taking place once Manchester United’s clash with Brighton concludes.
