Max Dowman delivered a standout performance at Portman Road as a rotated Arsenal side secured their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town. The 16-year-old prodigy scored twice and created another, starring alongside Noni Madueke and captain Mikel Merino in front of 28,966 spectators in Suffolk. Mikel Arteta’s squad demonstrated impressive tactical sharpness, racing into a commanding lead before repelling a late Ipswich fightback to maintain their winning run across all competitions.
Arsenal needed just seven minutes to open the scoring. Eberechi Eze threaded a pass through the Ipswich defense to find Dowman, who finished cleanly past the keeper to put the visitors ahead. The Gunners extended their lead in the 16th minute following high pressing from Bruno Guimarães, who forced a turnover deep in opposition territory. Merino quickly worked the ball to Madueke, who fired home a tidy volley to make it 0-2. Madueke proved direct and dangerous throughout the first half, while Ipswich struggled to break down Arsenal’s structure, earning only an McAteer yellow card and a brief opening for Viktor Gyökeres before the break.
Arsenal maintained their relentless tempo immediately after the restart. Two minutes into the second half, Martin Zubimendi poked a pass through off a defender’s arm into the path of Dowman, who slotted his low strike into the far corner for his second of the night. Dowman turned provider in the 58th minute, setting up Merino on the edge of the box to curl a precise finish into the top corner. Both Merino and Zubimendi put in solid midfield performances as they continue working back to full sharpness after winning the World Cup with Spain.
Operating with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal behind a defensive unit comprising Marli Salmon, Gabriel Magalhães, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal controlled large stretches before Ipswich mounted a late response. The host side introduced Jack Clarke and Chuba Akpom from the bench, and the double substitution yielded immediate results. Within a minute, Clarke set up Anis Mehmeti to reduce the deficit to 1-4. Ipswich added a second in stoppage time when substitute Leif Davis picked out Akpom, who converted past Kepa shortly before referee Sam Barrott blew the final whistle.
The 4-2 triumph builds on Arsenal’s strong momentum following consecutive league and European victories over Sunderland, Napoli, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. Despite managing several defensive fitness concerns—with William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, and Jurrien Timber recovering from various layoffs—Arteta’s depth was on full display as Bukayo Saka remained an unused substitute on the bench while the team sealed safe passage into the next round.
