Class act: Max Dowman takes centre stage for Arsenal against Mansfield (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal had a Champions League winner, a Copa America winner, and an England international among their attacking players on the pitch.
In the unusual formation Mikel Arteta drew up for Arsenal’s trip to Mansfield, there was close to £200million worth of talent in forward areas.
And yet for all those of an Arsenal or even a neutral persuasion inside the One Call Stadium or watching on at home, it was a 16-year-old who you were willing to get on the ball.
Max Dowman looked right at home from near enough the first whistle. The 16-year-old’s prodigious talent is no secret but here was the latest reminder that he is a player very much for the present and not just the future.
He went close with a couple of one-on-ones and put two good chances on a plate first for Leandro Trossard and then Gabriel Martinelli.
In the opening half an hour, Dowman had more shots, more ball recoveries and more touches in the opposition box than any other player.
New kid in town: Dowman arrives for the FA Cup tie against Mansfield (Getty Images)
On a patchy pitch that saw plenty in a red shirt look unsure of their footing and unconvincing on the ball, Dowman was a picture of composure and class.
That was even with Arsenal playing a shape they trained with just once and that left many of the more senior players around him looking confused.
Dowman drifted away from challenges, feinting beautifully, and quickly bounced up when heavier treatment came from Mansfield players, some of them twice his age.
The highlight-reel creators had plenty to work with, particularly with one run shortly after the League One side equalised.
Christian Norgaard’s pass under pressure to Dowman was not a great one. The teenager stretched out a weaker right foot to control it in the centre circle with a Mansfield player on either shoulder.
Six touches later, he was in the Mansfield box after an exquisite run. A seventh drew a sharp save from the goalkeeper to tip the shot behind.
Eberechi Eze, the scorer of Arsenal’s winner off the bench, said of Dowman: “He is a special, special player.
“To be able to play in these types of conditions and do so well on the ball, and dribble the way he was, showed he is a special talent.”
Arteta, who in January compared what Dowman is doing at a remarkably young age to Lionel Messi, was similarly effusive in his praise.
“Max, I think he was exceptional,” Arteta said.
“When the ball is bouncing all over the place and you have people in your back, the way he handles time and space and the touches that he takes, it’s just incredible.
“Especially at the speed that he delivers those actions. But that tells you the talent that we have.”
A big club reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup would often probably mark the end of a 16-year-old’s first-team opportunities for the season, with a manager turning to more experienced heads for the business end of a campaign.
Dowman, though, is not your typical 16-year-old. He is the youngest player ever to play in the Champions League and Arsenal’s youngest ever starter in the FA Cup.
At home: Dowman inspects the pitch alongside his Arsenal team-mates (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
For all Mansfield are a League One side and there are far tougher tests ahead, this performance was a clear message to Arteta that Dowman has a role to play in all competitions.
Arsenal are still in the quadruple hunt and the schedule will be relentless until the end of the season. Minutes will need to be managed and Dowman offers a real alternative in a position Arsenal need options.
His appearances have largely come on the right wing, but he thrived in more of a central role against Mansfield.
With Mikel Merino out for most of the season and both Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz enduring injury-hit campaigns, Dowman’s availability is a big boost.
Whether it be a lively option off the bench or even a more significant role when the fixture list dictates, more opportunities will surely come.
The biggest show of faith in Dowman is from his Arsenal team-mates. Norgaard had no issue playing him the ball under pressure in midfield, just as the attacking players linked up with him in tight areas.
They trust him and Arteta must know he can keep doing so too.