Mikel Arteta conceded that managing the 'inevitable' hype around Max Dowman is 'not easy' after the 16-year-old scored twice in Arsenal's 4-2 Carabao Cup third-round win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
The Arsenal boss handed first starts of the season to Dowman and 17-year-old Marli Salmon, making nine changes from the side that beat Sunderland. Arsenal dominated from the outset, with Dowman opening the scoring early on after collecting a pass from Eberechi Eze, dribbling past Cedric Kipre, and finishing calmly past Christian Walton.
Dowman double and Madueke stunner
Noni Madueke doubled the lead in the 16th minute with a superb strike. Dowman added a third early in the second half, and Mikel Merino made it 4-0 on the hour mark. Ipswich pulled two goals back through Anis Mehmeti and former Arsenal forward Chuba Akpom, but Arteta's side held on to progress.
Arsenal, the English champions, will learn their fourth-round opponents after Manchester United's clash with Brighton concludes on Wednesday.
Arteta on Dowman's development
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Arteta said: 'It's a joy to have him, Marli [Salmon] as well. Being 16 years old and playing with the physicality that they have to be able to handle that level… it's remarkable.'
He added: 'It's inevitable that we're talking about Max when he scores and creates the moments that he has created tonight. It's normal.'
When asked how he plans to contain the hype, Arteta replied: 'Depending on 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 that every time we throw him in it's in the right context with the right preparation. And that's what we are trying to do. We want to make sure that he's ready to handle it when we throw him in at every level.'
Workload management and next fixtures
Arteta stressed that Dowman, an England Under-19 international, would be treated like any other squad member, but his workload must be carefully 'managed'. He said: 'It's not just that he can run past somebody, there are a lot more things where we have to look after him. He will dictate that in terms of how he behaves in every single day and how many reasons he gives us to play him because he's part of our squad like anybody else. The only thing we need to manage is to constantly be aware that he needs to be prepared to do what he needs to do.'
Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend with a trip to the south coast to face Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton. The north Londoners have a 100 per cent record this season, winning seven from seven in all competitions.
