Arsenal’s U21s produced a dramatic late turnaround on Saturday afternoon, coming from two goals down to defeat Wolves — with 15-year-old Max Dowman marking his first start of the season in style.
The headline ahead of kick-off was the inclusion of Dowman in the starting XI. Still only 15, the highly-rated midfielder made his first appearance of the campaign for the academy side and wasted no time showing his quality.
After an encouraging first half, Arsenal found themselves behind in the 37th minute when Wolves converted a controversial penalty. Things got worse shortly after the break, as Mateus Mane struck in the 50th minute to double the visitors’ lead.
Arsenal Fight Back
Dowman was lively throughout, even rattling the woodwork with a volleyed effort, but it was Andre Harriman-Annous who sparked the comeback. Turning sharply on the edge of the area, the forward drilled a low finish to make it 2–1 with half an hour to play.
Moments later, Dowman delivered a moment of individual brilliance. The teenager twisted away from his marker before driving a low strike into the net to level the score at 2–2, capping off a superb full debut.
Late Drama
Just when it seemed the game was heading for a draw, Charles Sagoe Jr. won a penalty deep into stoppage time. Harriman-Annous kept his composure to convert from the spot in the 98th minute, sealing a dramatic 3–2 victory for the young Gunners.
Arsenal U21 Lineup vs Wolves
Starting XI: Porter, Nichols, Washington, Clarke, Sweet, Ibrahim, Ferdinand, Copley, Harriman-Annous, Dowman, Sagoe Jr.
Substitutes: Salmon (for Nichols, 66), Kamara (for Ferdinand, 66), Dudziak (for Ibrahim, 73), Agustien (for Dowman, 73), Mitchell.
What’s Next?
The win leaves Arsenal 10th in the Premier League 2 table, with two wins, one draw, and one defeat from their opening four matches. Attention now turns to the EFL Trophy, where they face Newport County away on Tuesday, September 23 at 19:00 BST.
For Dowman, however, all eyes may be on the first team. With Mikel Arteta’s side set to face Port Vale in the League Cup the following day, the youngster will be hoping his performance keeps him firmly on the radar.
