Arsenal rushing to meet Max Dowman demand after wonderkid's sensational showings

Top players have pre-made names ready to be heat-pressed onto shirts, but shop staff have had to make up Dowman’s name with loose letters used for personalisation instead, per The Sun. Employees have been readying Dowman lettering in batches on a daily basis just to be able to keep up with demand. The clamour for the forward’s kit is through the roof with many heading to the shop straight after the final whistle on Saturday. Dowman’s name is not even listed as an option on the wall of player names inside Arsenal’s ‘Armoury’ store at the Emirates. That will soon change after Dowman’s rapid elevation to fame.

Thanks to his stunning solo goal and all-around contributions, he has been compared to game legends like Lionel Messi and Kaka. A club source told The Sun: "We've been overwhelmed by the sudden demand for Max's shirt, and it's fantastic to see so many fans wanting to have his name on their shirts." Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is expected to leave Dowman on the bench for Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley, as they look to complete a quadruple.

Arteta insisted Dauman's contribution against Everton was "extraordinary," adding that those in the stadium would never forget what they witnessed. He said: "For many years to come, those who were in the stadium today will say: 'I was in the stadium, I was at the Emirates that day, when this lad, aged 16, scored that goal at such a crucial moment in the season.'" Dowman, whose chances of making the World Cup squad remain slim, will find out today which England team he will be selected for.

Brentford forward Dango Ouattara was in the crowd at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Outtara, 24, was amongst the Arsenal fans in the upper tier as the Gunners dispatched of Bayer Leverkusen 2-0. The versatile winger, who represents Burkina Faso at international level, was not thought to be a guest of the club. It isn’t the first time that players have headed to the stadium to catch a glimpse of Arsenal off their own back. In 2024, Riccardo Calafiori visited the Emirates as a fan seven months before sealing his transfer to the club.

Arsenal have been graced by football royalty over the past week. Brazil legend Romario was at the club’s training ground last Friday to film an interview with Gabriel Jesus. The former striker caught many in the media off guard when he casually walked into the press conference room with his entourage to grab a coffee. Romario was there on behalf of his YouTube channel, which has over 500,000 subscribers, and Eberechi Eze was among the Arsenal players that took the chance to meet him. Romario was not the only famous face around over the past week, as Italy great Leonardo Bonucci was at Tuesday’s win over Bayer Leverkusen.

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