There is something about a trip to Brighton that always makes me a little nervous.

Maybe it is the memory of awkward afternoons on the south coast. Maybe it is the fact that Brighton are rarely interested in making life comfortable for anyone. Or perhaps it is simply the very Arsenal-fan instinct of refusing to relax, even when everything is going rather well.

And, right now, things are going rather well.

Arsenal head to the Amex today with a perfect record. In the Premier League we have taken maximum points from our opening four matches. The latest was a controlled 2-0 victory away at Sunderland, following wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Aston Villa.

Victories have also come in the Champions League, League Cup and Community Shield – 7 games played, 7 wins.

But Brighton are hardly waiting around to admire our start.

The Seagulls arrive after putting five past Coventry last weekend, and that result underlined the attacking threat Arsenal will have to deal with. Their opening weeks have produced plenty of goals, including a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, so this is not a side we can afford to underestimate.

From an Arsenal perspective, the big question is whether we can impose the control we have seen in recent weeks.

That feels particularly important at the Amex. Brighton will want to move the ball quickly, pull Arsenal’s shape around and create the kind of open game that can become uncomfortable very quickly. For the Gunners, patience may be just as important as attacking quality.

And then there is Bukayo Saka.

There is something wonderfully reassuring about having Saka available when Arsenal need a moment of inspiration. He scored the late penalty against Sunderland and will surely be one of the players Brighton have spent the week thinking about.

The recent head-to-head record also gives Arsenal fans something to cling to: the Gunners won 1-0 on our last visit to the Amex in March, while also beating Brighton twice at home last season.

Still, this is Brighton away. We know better than to expect an easy afternoon.

Three points would keep the momentum going and, perhaps more importantly, provide another indication that this Arsenal side can handle the less glamorous, more difficult tests that arrive throughout a Premier League season.

So, naturally, I am feeling completely calm about it.

Absolutely no nerves whatsoever.

Probably.

DJ

There is something wonderfully exciting about watching a teenager walk into senior football and look completely at home.

There is also something deeply uncomfortable about what happens when they don’t.

Ayden Heaven knows both sides of that equation. The former Arsenal academy defender has now found himself trying to establish his place at Manchester United, and his difficult start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign should provide an important lesson for another Hale End graduate: Marli Salmon.

Heaven has made just one Premier League start this season, playing the full 90 minutes in United’s 2–0 defeat away to Hull City. It was a difficult afternoon for Michael Carrick’s side, with Heaven among the young players whose introduction into a struggling team exposed just how unforgiving senior football can be.

He returned to the starting XI for the League Cup and had a torrid night as his team threw away a 2-nil lead to lose 3-2 at home to Brighton.

Heaven is not a bad defender. Far from it.

Still only 19, his development is nowhere near finished, and one or two poor performances – in a team that is performing poorly – should not define him.

But that’s precisely why his situation matters to Arsenal.

Salmon is only 17 and has already been trusted with first-team football. He made his senior debut last season, featured in the Champions League and FA Cup, and has continued to be involved around Arsenal’s first team. He has also now made another senior appearance this season, impressing in central defence against Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup.

The temptation with players like Salmon is obvious: when a teenager looks composed against senior opposition, the natural reaction is to want more. More minutes. More starts. More responsibility.

We saw this is the summer with many fans having Salmon down as our 4th choice centre back. “No need for Konsa, we have Salmon” many fans shared.

But centre-back is a particularly cruel position for a youngster to learn in.

A midfielder can misplace a pass and recover. A winger can lose possession and have another opportunity five minutes later. For a central defender, one mistimed movement, one lapse in concentration or one poor decision can immediately become a goalscoring opportunity.

Mikel Merino made exactly this point when discussing Salmon after Arsenal’s win over Ipswich. The Spain international highlighted the maturity required to play at centre-back and stressed how important it is to avoid mistakes because every action can be crucial.

That is the balance Arsenal have to get right.

And it is a balance we got right when developing another talented young defender – William Saliba.

For some fans, Saliba spent too long on loan in France. They shouted for him to return a season earlier. Instead Arsenal sent him to Marseille who acted as a finishing school.

Whilst on loan, Saliba made mistakes. But away from the Premier League spotlight, he was able to move on from them quickly. And at 21 he was ready to return to Arsenal. Ready for first team Premier League football. And ready to become the best central defender in the world.

Salmon is clearly a talent. His progression from joining the academy at nine to making his first-team debut before turning 17 is evidence enough of the faith the club has placed in him.

But Heaven’s experience is a reminder that potential doesn’t remove the learning curve.

Arsenal don’t need Salmon to be flawless. They need to give him an environment where mistakes can be absorbed rather than magnified.

Another season of being in and around the Arsenal first team should be followed up by a loan to a Championship team in 12 months. That will get Salmon used to regular, physical first team football. That first elbow from a 6 3 English journeyman striker will make Salmon a man.

Come 2028/29 Salmon will still only be 19. That is still incredible young as a centre back. But he will be more ready to be involved in Arsenal’s first team squad on a regular basis.

Both Konsa and Gabriel will be 31 by then. Saliba 27 and Cristhian Mosquera just 24. The pathway for Salmon will be clear.

The difference between promising a teenager and breaking a teenager can sometimes be nothing more than timing.

And if Arsenal can take anything from Heaven’s difficult moments at United, it should be this: don’t confuse early exposure with finished development.

Salmon doesn’t need to be rushed simply because he looks ready.

He needs to be allowed to become ready.

Because the most exciting thing about Arsenal’s next generation isn’t how quickly they can become stars. It’s how carefully the club can help them get there.

Keenos

Max Dowman is quickly becoming someone who we no longer need to protect.

If you are old enough, you are good enough, and the 16-year-old is beginning to look like a player Mikel Arteta may soon have to find a regular place for.

Dowman’s latest statement came at Portman Road – scoring twice and playing his part in all four of Arsenal’s goals during a 4-2 Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town. It was the sort of performance that makes it increasingly difficult to describe him solely as a player for the future.

And, eventually, that could have consequences for Noni Madueke.

To be clear, this is not a suggestion that Madueke has suddenly become surplus to requirements. The England international scored Arsenal’s second goal against Ipswich and remains an important attacking option.

But football evolves quickly. If Dowman continues to develop at his current rate, there is a strong argument that he could eventually become the player Arsenal turn to in the role Madueke currently occupies.

Madueke’s strengths are obvious. He is quick, direct and willing to take on defenders. His ability to carry the ball at speed gives Arsenal a different threat in wide areas. However he also has glaring weaknesses – inconsistent delivery and too often runs down dark alleys.

Dowman offers something different. And in his cameo’s so far has shown much better decision making.

Rather than relying primarily on pace and power, the teenager looks comfortable receiving the ball between the lines, manipulating defenders and combining with teammates. His close control allows him to operate in tight spaces, while his willingness to drift inside gives Arsenal another creative presence around the penalty area.

That versatility could be particularly valuable for Arteta.

Dowman is not simply a winger who stays on the touchline. He can move into central areas, link play and create overloads. Those qualities fit naturally into an Arsenal side built around movement and positional rotations.

Of course, it would be premature to draw sweeping conclusions from one Carabao Cup performance. However, Dowman is quickly building on what he produced last season.

Still only 16-years-old, we will need to manage his development carefully. The physical and tactical demands of regular Premier League football are significant, particularly for a player so young. But if he is ready, he is ready. And as we have seen with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, a ready 17 year old can be a better option than an estabalished 24-year-old.

What made Dowman’s latest performance so impressive was how composed he looked.

His first goal showed excellent composure in front of goal. His second demonstrated his ability to find space and finish decisively. Most importantly, he looked comfortable playing 90 minutes of senior football.

There has already been considerable excitement around Dowman, with his performances in youth football and pre-season suggesting that he has the technical ability to make the step up. The challenge now is turning flashes of brilliance into consistency.

Interestingly, Madueke’s presence does not necessarily have to prevent Dowman from breaking through. It could actually help him.

Arteta will have the luxury of continuing to introduce Dowman gradually rather than throwing him into every Premier League match. That means Dowman can continue to learn, adapt to the demands of first-team football and take advantage of favourable situations without carrying the entire responsibility of Arsenal’s attack.

The pecking order will still be Bukayo Saka, Madueke and then Dowman. But as Dowman continues to develop, produces decisive moments and proves that he can handle the physical and tactical demands of senior football, Arteta could eventually face a very appealing selection dilemma.

And the most realistic scenario will be Madueke leaving at the end of the season.

Dowman is 16. His development will not be completely linear, and Arsenal will need to protect him from the enormous expectations that already surround his name. But his trajectory is difficult to ignore.

After his performance against Ipswich, Dowman has given Arteta another reason to consider him.

For now, Madueke remains the established first-team player with the responsibility of delivering.

But we have seen this story before with Bukayo Saka – who had Arsenal record signing Nicholas Pepe ahead of him.

If Max Dowman keeps performing like this, Arteta will make the same decision as he did previously.

And there is a part two to this story. Come 2027/28, Dowman should be hot on the heels of Saka. Bukayo will be coming up to his 27th birthday, Dowman still just 18. Will we see a changing of the guard in 2028?

Keenos