There’s a lot to be happy about for Arsenal fans at the moment.
They won all four games in the Champions League. They reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup and are top of the Premier League.
Additionally, their defense was out of this world, they were unstoppable from set-pieces and they reintroduced a world-class prospect in Max Domann into the squad.
The 15-year-old looks destined for greatness, but now Hale End appear to be nurturing another top talent at Arsenal who could become Bukayo Saka 2.0.
Dauman’s rapid growth
For Arsenal, there is no getting away from the fact that this season is primarily about getting over the line in the Premier League.
However, one of the secondary stories is that Dowman has rapidly developed from a 15-year-old academy gem to a semi-regular first-team player.
The Chelmsford-born talent was first introduced to fans during pre-season, where his eye-catching performances led respected analyst Ben Mattinson to claim he had “humiliated Premier League players”.
The youngster then got his first taste of competitive football against Leeds United, where he again battered a senior defender and earned his team a penalty.
The next step was his first start in the League Cup against Brighton, where he completed more dribbles than anyone else on the pitch and officially became the youngest player to start for Arsenal.
And this week he broke a new record by appearing in the 72nd minute and heading home again, becoming the youngest player to appear in the Champions League.
After the match, manager Arteta praised the youngster, saying: “What he did on the pitch was to come in, play people with the first ball, start dribbling and get fouled. That’s character, that’s courage. And you can’t teach that.”
But it wasn’t just the Gunners manager who was impressed, with Slavia Prague’s David Zima even going so far as to call him a ‘miracle player’.
All in all, Dauman appears to be on track to reach the top at Arsenal, but now a young talent who could be the next Saka is causing ripples through the academy.
Arsenal’s new football
At the moment, Hale End has produced a handful of exciting talents, and Brando Bailey-Joseph is one of them.
The 17-year-old only signed scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, but his impressive performances saw him put pen to paper on a professional contract last month.
Like a talismanic number seven, he could be a Saka-like player of the future for the club, as he has shown the ability to play on both sides of the attack.
In fact, like the Hale End icon, he has also played deeper on both the right and left of midfield.
Additionally, he has shown the ability to score goals and assist on goals, although he is not as prolific as Dauman.
Bailey Joseph’s 25/26 | |
|---|---|
Appearance | 13 |
minutes | 901′ |
the goal | 4 |
assist | 4 |
Number of goals involved per match | 0.61 |
Hours per goal involvement | 112.62 feet |
All stats via Transfermarkt | |
For example, he played in 13 games this season, playing a total of 901 minutes, putting the ball in the back of the net four times and recording four assists.
In other words, the “explosive” attacker, described by Hale End expert Will Balsam, is currently involved in a goal on average 1.62 games, or every 112.62 minutes, which is impressive for a winger.
Additionally, it is his “quickness and sharp cuts” with the ball at his feet that make him a “threat” for opposing defenders, according to Balsam.
Finally, Mattinson says what makes the youngster such an exciting prospect is his “excellent ball handling” and the fact that he “takes quick shots in and around the box.”
Ultimately, he has a long way to go to become the next Saka, but as it stands, Bailey Joseph appears to have all the ingredients needed to succeed.
