Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Max Dowman after the Arsenal youngster scored twice against Ipswich Town in the League Cup on Tuesday night.
The 16-year-old burst into the box with the ball and finished with poise to put the Gunners ahead after just six minutes at Portman Road.
Noni Madueke doubled their lead before Dowman found the net again immediately after the halftime break, rolling the ball into the far corner.
Mikel Merino scored Arsenal’s fourth, while Anis Mehmeti and Chuba Akpom both got on the scoresheet for Ipswich as the third round match ended 4-2.
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Max Dowman that is delightful! 👏 pic.twitter.com/UfFY1VSyXn
Arteta blown away by ‘unpredictable’ Arsenal starlet Dowman
Speaking after the full-time whistle, Arteta commended Dowman on his performance, but said they need to take care with his development due to his age.
“Max was brilliant,” he told Sky Sports. “Some actions made the difference and were outstanding. We know the talent and we have to look after him. The environment around him is really good so step by step.
“He is only 16 years old and we have to be careful. We don’t want to stop him, but we need to develop him. We’re fully aware of what he needs and he will have full opportunities to play.”
On Dowman’s opening goal, Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Unbelievable, he’s unpredictable, he can go either way, so fluid, so nice to watch.”
He added: “He is 16, we don’t really see that in the Premier League. In this environment, we want to develop him and we need to look after him.”
The Spaniard was pleased overall with Arsenal’s display. “Very happy with a lot of aspects, the way we played, to maintain the momentum, some individual performances were really good so in general a really good night,”
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