Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has likened teenage sensation Max Dowman to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, praising the similar temperament shown by both young stars after the 16-year-old netted twice in the Gunners' 4-2 Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town.
Dowman, handed his first outing of the campaign by manager Mikel Arteta, produced a composed and impressive display at Portman Road on Tuesday night, striking twice to help send Arsenal through to the last 16 of the competition. The performance added further weight to the growing excitement surrounding the England youth international, with Arteta himself conceding that managing expectations around the teenager is proving no simple task.
Merino, who is well acquainted with elite young talent through his international duty alongside 19-year-old Yamal for Spain, believes the pair share a common trait: an ability to perform without fear regardless of the occasion.
"There are some similarities in terms of their character," Merino said. "They don't care about the spotlight. They thrive when pressure is at the highest. They are always up for the challenge and they are not shy at all – even facing the biggest names in the game."
The Spanish midfielder, who also found the net in the win over Ipswich, spoke glowingly of Dowman's ability and the responsibility Arsenal now carry in nurturing his progress.
"He is an unbelievable talent," Merino said. "We knew it, but every time he goes on the pitch and plays against grown men he makes the difference. He is a big talent and we have to take care of him."
Merino stressed that continued development, rather than instant stardom, remains the priority for the club as they look after one of the most exciting young prospects in English football.
"We have to keep pushing him. He needs to keep learning – eyes and ears open always," he explained. "There is still big room for improvement in a lot of areas and he knows that. So we are going to be by his side trying to get him to his best level."
Balancing the teenager's rapid rise with the need to protect him from excessive scrutiny is, according to Merino, one of the trickier aspects of his development. "It is a thin line. It is very difficult to have equilibrium sometimes with him, because obviously you want him to shine and show everyone the talent that he has. But you have to sometimes remind them that they are human beings and they are part of a bigger squad and team."
Drawing further parallels between Dowman and Yamal, Merino highlighted their shared humility despite the hype surrounding both players. "The good thing with these kind of players – Lamine and Max – is that they are special talents, but at the same time they are very humble. They are always keen to learn and listen to the veterans. That is priceless."
Dowman was not the only academy product to catch the eye against Ipswich. Merino also singled out 17-year-old centre-back Marli Salmon for a mature and assured performance at the back. "In that position as a centre-back, you need to be very mature," he said. "It's very important you don't make many mistakes. Every action is crucial. It's the same as with Max, he is an unbelievable talent. We try to teach them our experience and they are very good at listening."
With Arsenal's academy continuing to produce standout performers, the club appears intent on carefully guiding its brightest young talents through the pressures of first-team football while preserving the raw quality that has already turned heads across the game.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.