BBC pundit Stephen Warnock was shocked by one of Arsenal’s players who dazzled in today’s FA Cup clash with Mansfield Town.
Arsenal overcome Mansfield scare to qualify for FA Cup quarter-finals
Arsenal reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but they worked extremely hard at One Call Stadium.
Mikel Arteta has made nine changes from the squad that beat Brighton in midweek ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg at Bayer Leverkusen.
Declan Rice, David Raya and William Saliba all remained at home, giving junior players and academy prospects a rare chance to shine against League One teams.
It was never simple.
Arsenal spent much of the first half looking for a way to break through Mansfield’s defiant back line, with Trossard coming close to goal again and again and Madueke’s corner kicks being denied by the post.
The opening goal finally arrived just before halftime. Maduke, who saw his initial shot saved, pressed in the rebound to give Arsenal a 1–0 lead at half-time, giving the club a breakthrough moment. This goal was his 100th of the season in all competitions.
The second half got off to a disastrous start.
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A sloppy defensive error meant that substitute Will Evans was left in possession, but he raced past Kepa to level the score and send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Suddenly, the possibility of giant killing felt very real.
Arsenal responded to their credit. Eberechi Eze, who was brought on from the bench, took the lead back from a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and fired a stunning shot into the top corner.
The Gunners then won 2-1 to advance to the quarter-finals.
The 4x dream lives on.
Stephen Warnock was blown away by Max Dauman in Arsenal’s win over Mansfield
However, even amid all this anxiety, one name continued to catch my eye.
Making his first start since November after being sidelined since the Champions League game against Slavia Prague, 16-year-old Max Dauman reminded everyone watching why Arsenal supporters are so excited about him.
The teenager made history before kick-off, becoming the youngest player to start for Arsenal in the FA Cup, and delivered a performance that had pundits purring after the match.
Former England full-back Warnock was also one to praise him in an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Youngest player in Premier League history | year | club |
|---|---|---|
Ethan Nwaneri | 15 years and 181 days | arsenal |
Max Dauman | 15 years and 235 days | arsenal |
Jeremy As | 15 years and 271 days | leicester city |
harvey elliott | 16 years and 30 days | Fulham |
Matthew Briggs | 16 years and 68 days | Fulham |
“Max Dauman is fun to watch,” Warnock said.
“The way he carries the ball, the way he glides through players. He often hits the ball at the right time. His vision and understanding of the game is incredible for such a young player.”
Warnock also spoke candidly about the challenges ahead for the teenager, who is keen to join Arteta’s first-team plans on a more regular basis.
“The problem he has now is that Arsenal are very good and he’s not getting the game time that he would like, but we have to be very careful how we get him used to the game. The game is different physically and it’s completely different to youth football.
“He knows how to find space and is always looking over his shoulder. His decision-making is great for such a young player.”
Dauman missed a one-on-one with Mansfield’s goalie early on, but other than that one mistake, he looked every inch the player he belongs at this level.
Carefully managing his development remains a priority for Arsenal. On today’s evidence, the line of clubs keeping a close eye on him will only get longer.
Paul Merson had already called Dowman a formidable prospect and the teenage talent confirmed it again today.
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