While Arsenal fans will have to wait another week to watch their team again, they did get to see Bukayo Saka shine on the international stage again on Thursday.
The Hale End icon started for England in a friendly against Wales, and made it quite clear that the right-wing position is his for club and country.
The Welsh could not handle him at all, and just 20 minutes into the game, he scored a sensational curling effort that was the best strike on the night.
Saka will undoubtedly have a significant role to play for England at the World Cup next year, but there is another Arsenal gem who could go on to be an even bigger national team star in the years to come.
The Arsenal players who could be at the World Cup
Sticking with Saka for a moment, and so long as he remains fit, it’s almost impossible to imagine England’s World Cup squad without him being in it next summer.
The 24-year-old has twice been named the nation’s Player of the Year, has already amassed 45 caps, in which he’s scored 21 goal involvements, and Thursday was just a reminder of how influential he can be at this level.
With that said, there will likely be a handful of Arsenal players who make it on the plane next year, chief among them being Declan Rice.
The £105m man won his 69th cap against Wales, and more crucially, wore the captain’s armband in Harry Kane’s absence.
Therefore, so long as he remains fit and keeps up his brilliant form for the rest of the season, he should not only be on the plane to Mexico, Canada and the USA, but in the starting lineup for every game.
Someone who should have little concern about making it on the plane, but whose place in the lineup is not guaranteed, is Eberechi Eze.
The former Crystal Palace star has just 13 senior caps to his name, but has become a constant in squads over the last couple of years and offers something from the middle of the park and out wide.
The final player from Mikel Arteta’s side who stands a realistic chance of making it to the World Cup, but could still miss out if he doesn’t start getting more gametime, is Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Thomas Tuchel has made it abundantly clear he rates the youngster, giving him his first start, in which he scored. However, with Riccardo Calafiori, the current first choice at the Emirates, he could see his place with the Three Lions going to someone else.
With all that said, there is another Arsenal gem who almost certainly won’t be going to the World Cup, but may well become one of England’s biggest stars in a few years.
The Arsenal gem destined to become an England superstar
Now, with all the players already mentioned, some of you might be thinking the gem in question is Ethan Nwaneri, and while he might also become a star for the national team, it’s not him.
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Instead, the Arsenal gem who seems destined to become a superstar for England is, of course, Max Dowman.
The 15-year-old is one of the most talked-about academy prospects in the game right now, and for very good reason.
It feels more like a matter of when, not if, he’s starting week in, week out, in the Premier League and Champions League.
After all, while this all sounds somewhat hyperbolic, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig described the teenage gem as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal”, which is really saying something considering the Spaniard just finished second in the Ballon d’Or at 18 years old.
Appearances
23
Minutes
1945′
Goals
19
Assists
5
Goal Involvements per Match
1.04
Minutes per Goal Involvement
81.04′
It’s an opinion that doesn’t look too crazy when looking back at the youngster’s numbers from last season, either, as in 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, he scored 19 times and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.
Moreover, despite still being only 15 years old, the Chelmsford-born dynamo is already playing for England’s U19 side, having made three appearances and provided one assist.
During his time with the U17s, he scored five goals and provided three assists in 16 appearances, totalling 953 minutes.
Finally, if the incredible prospect had only played junior football up until this point, there would be an argument that everyone is getting a bit carried away. However, he has now played for the Gunners’ first team and looked brilliant.
For example, he won a penalty against Newcastle United in pre-season and then against Leeds United in the league a month later, which led to analyst Ben Mattinson claiming he “hasn’t even done his GCSE’s but he’s humiliating Premier League players.”
Ultimately, it might take a couple of years before he has a proper go in the senior side, but with how well he’s playing this year and with what those in the know are saying, there is every chance Dowman can become Arsenal’s greatest ever England player.