'Kick him!' - Mikel Arteta jokes Arsenal players reacted angrily to being nutmegged by Max Dowman as Gunners boss makes 'exploit his talent' claim

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Mikel Arteta joked that Arsenal players reacted angrily to being nutmegged by Max Dowman. The prospect, who made his Premier League debut in August at 15 years and 235 days, has been training with the first team since last season and even joined the squad on their mid-season Dubai trip. He has emerged as a key figure in the squad and is primed to feature in the Carabao Cup against Port Vale.

Dowman rising to prominence despite age

During September’s international window, England youth star Dowman was fouled at least nine times in a clash against Spain, forcing the opposing left-back into a red card. But for Dowman, physicality and rough play are nothing new. Arteta made it clear that while the challenges can be tough, the 15-year-old thrives under pressure.

Arsenal v Leeds United - Premier League

Nutmeg fury in Arsenal training

Speaking about the tricky Dowman's nutmegs in training, Arteta said: "At the beginning, they responded immediately - kick him! That was the first one. And Max, to be fair, he was excellent, stood up and got into the next one. You can really take it personally, for someone who was 14 last year, at some point when he was doing certain things to players, and now everybody loves him."

From target to treasure

What started as annoyance from Arsenal’s stars has transformed into admiration. Dowman, once the boy who got mercilessly roasted in drills, is now one of the squad’s most liked players.

"You just want to hug him, help him. He's such a nice boy as well and he's very much liked by everybody here and just looking after us," Arteta added. "It brings responsibility to look after somebody with that talent and make sure we just do what we have to do to make sure we're given the best chance to exploit his talent, that's all."

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A big test awaits for Dowman

Dowman’s star is rising fast, and Arsenal fans will soon see more of him. The Gunners are set to face Port Vale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening before travelling to St. James’ Park to take on Newcastle in their next Premier League outing.