{"id":3399,"date":"2026-04-07T21:43:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T21:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=3399"},"modified":"2026-04-07T21:43:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T21:43:28","slug":"alan-smith-backs-arsenal-star-to-shine-in-place-of-bukayo-saka-against-sporting-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=3399","title":{"rendered":"Alan Smith backs Arsenal star to shine in place of Bukayo Saka against Sporting | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Alan Smith has been blown away by Max Dowman\u2019s early showings at Arsenal (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ex-Arsenal striker Alan Smith has backed Max Dowman to seize the opportunity with both hands should he be given the nod in the side\u2019s Champions League clash with Sporting this evening. <\/p>\n

Dowman has burst out of\u00a0Arsenal\u2019s academy ranks to establish himself as one of the most exciting young talents in English football this season.<\/p>\n

The 16-year-old attacker, who has long been tipped for a bright future while rising through the Hale End youth system, well and truly announced his arrival with\u00a0a scintillating cameo appearance in the Gunners\u2019 2-0 victory over Everton\u00a0last month.<\/p>\n

After providing the cross that led to\u00a0Viktor Gyokeres\u2019 opener, Dowman doubled Arsenal\u2019s lead with a piece of solo brilliance which saw him become the youngest ever goalscorer in the\u00a0Premier League.<\/p>\n

Another record fell during the international break as Dowman\u2019s wonder strike in a 6-0 thrashing of Portugal saw the teenager become the youngest scorer in the history of the England Under-19 team.<\/p>\n

And while\u00a0Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup at the hands of Southampton\u00a0at the weekend, Dowman\u2019s meteoric rise continued as he came away from St Mary\u2019s as the visitors\u2019 standout player in what was only his third senior start.<\/p>\n

With Bukayo Saka currently unavailable through injury, Dowman and Noni Madueke appear the two obvious candidates for Arsenal when it comes to who should should start on the right flank in Lisbon. <\/p>\n

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Dowman was Arsenal\u2019s main threat in defeat against Southampton (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The 16-year-old became the youngest scorer in Premier League history last month (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Gunners enter tonight\u2019s quarter-final first leg in need of a morale-boosting win after their quadruple hopes went up in smoke with defeat in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in their last two contests.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you put him in, you\u2019re not telling him to get you out of it (the slump),\u2019 Smith told Sky Sports News when asked about the prospect of Dowman starting versus Sporting.<\/p>\n

\u2018But I don\u2019t think he would have any fears about it because there\u2019s nothing that seems to faze the lad.<\/p>\n

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\u2018What a moment that was against Everton. I don\u2019t think he needed a boost in confidence but his belief would have maybe doubled after that.<\/p>\n

\u2018Look, Bukayo Saka isn\u2019t going to be fit so perhaps that position on the right-hand side is up for grabs and Dowman is well in the frame.<\/p>\n

\u2018I wouldn\u2019t be at all surprised if he did make the starting XI.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Arteta should have no fears about starting Dowman, says Smith (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Smith, Arsenal\u2019s desperately disappointing performance against Southampton will only have \u2018cemented\u2019 Arteta\u2019s views regarding his strongest starting XI.<\/p>\n

\u2018We speak a lot about the strength in depth of Arsenal\u2019s squad and you would have expected rotation for that Southampton match given the Sporting game tonight,\u2019 the former England international continued.<\/p>\n

\u2018But as a manager, I can remember it myself, they say to the lads coming in, \u201cShow me something for me to think about\u201d, and it didn\u2019t happen. <\/p>\n

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\u2018People like Myles Lewis-Skelly, it\u2019s been hard for him, and you would imagine he might leave at the end of the season. He\u2019s got a couple of players in his place ahead of him. <\/p>\n

\u2018But the team, as a whole really, didn\u2019t perform. Cristhian Mosquera in central defence looked a little jittery.<\/p>\n

\u2018So that just cements Arteta\u2019s feeling about what his strongest team is.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Arteta\u2019s men host Sporting in the return leg in just over a week\u2019s time (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though Smith is expecting a tough test against a \u2018strong\u2019 Sporting side, he is hopeful Arsenal\u2019s big players will rise to the occasion to help propel the club towards the final four of the Champions League.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019d have probably settled for that,\u2019 Smith said of Arsenal\u2019s quarter-final draw.<\/p>\n

\u2018But Sporting are banging in the goals at the moment, just looking at their last few games. They\u2019re very strong at home and haven\u2019t lost for a long while.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a test, no doubt, but I always look at these periods when you have been struggling, you want the big games where the adrenaline is really pumping.<\/p>\n

\u2018To go out there in front of a fervent crowd, the big players respond. And I would expect the Arsenal lads to do that. I do think it\u2019s a good game for them tonight.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arsenal have been sweating over the fitness over several first-team stars ahead of this evening\u2019s contest.<\/p>\n

But facing the media on the eve of the clash, Arteta confirmed that Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were all ready and available to feature. <\/p>\n

While the match comes too soon for Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber, there are hopes the trio could be available for the Gunners\u2019 clash with Bournemouth in Saturday\u2019s lunchtime kick-off.<\/p>\n

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Should Max Dowman start against Sporting?<\/h3>\n
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