Mikel Arteta hinted earlier this month that Dowman would have made his first-team debut by now, but competition rules state players in matchday squads cannot be from a lower age group than the U16s.
In September, he became the youngest player in history to score in the UEFA Youth League by netting Arsenal’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to Atalanta at the age of 14 years, eight months and 19 days.
Many of them, one suspects, had come down on a Friday night to catch a glimpse of Dowman, who has been a popular name among Arsenal fans over the past six months.
He made his debut for Arsenal U21s earlier this season and, at 14 years old, became the youngest player in the club’s history to play at that level.
Dowman rose to the challenge here, helping a young Arsenal team punch above their weight against a strong Manchester United side.
