Eberechi Eze stunned by Arsenal teammate – ‘he’s very different’

Eberechi Eze is confident Arsenal have unearthed a ‘special’ talent in Max Dowman and has backed the teenager to thrive in the Gunners’ first team.

The Hale End Academy graduate became the youngest player in Arsenal’s history back in August when he made his Premier League debut against Leeds United when he was still just 15 years old.

An ankle injury had curtailed his progress, but Dowman was promoted to the starting XI on Saturday as Mikel Arteta’s side progressed to the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

While the majority of his senior teammates struggled to cope with the treacherous conditions, Dowman displayed a maturity beyond his tender years and produced a stunning man of the match display.

‘Max Dowman is very different to a lot of players, but he is someone that is confident.

‘He believes in his ability a lot. He is a special player, but also a special person. You can see that he is maturing well and he’s a good guy. It’s fun to be around.

‘To be fair, that is the same with a lot of the players coming through the academy these days.

‘Once they come to train with the first-team, they believe in themselves. It is a positive energy to be around.’

While it was Dowman who attracted most of the post game plaudits, it was Eze who turned out to be the matchwinner.

With the League One side pressing for an unlikely winner, Arteta summoned the England international from the bench and it didn’t take Eze long to produce the moment of magic that ultimately separated the two sides.

The former Crystal Palace star has a habit of coming alive at the business end of the season and the 27-year-old hopes it is a case of history repeating itself after Eze inspired the Eagles to an unlikely FA Cup triumph last season.

Eze said: ‘I am trying every single game to perform, to score goals and to win.

‘It just seems to fall more so at this time of the year. I hope it is the same this year.

‘This is where it matters. These are the end points that you want to arrive in.

‘For sure, I will be working as hard as I can – like the team – to push for it.

‘I just pray that we continue to build the team, to keep working and winning games.’