The immediate future looks very bright for Arsenal and so does the more distant. On the night when Max Dowman became the club’s youngest player to start a match at the age of just 15 years and 302 days, it was two other graduates of the Hale End academy who scored the goals to send Mikel Arteta’s side into the last eight.
Ethan Nwaneri, who has one record that Arsenal’s latest protege can never beat as the youngest player in Premier League history, found the net again on a rare start to settle an inexperienced Arsenal side’s nerves before Bukayo Saka rounded off the victory against Brighton after coming on to replace Dowman.
On the impressive evidence of the 70 minutes he was granted here by Arteta, the forward, who will turn 16 on New Year’s Eve, will have plenty more opportunities to impress on the right flank over the years to come.
This was an eighth win in succession for Arsenal in all competitions and yet another clean sheet despite making 10 changes. Having already established a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League, Arteta will hope that the timely injection of youth can provide more impetus in a season when they look destined to finally end their long search for silverware.
