The bad news for everyone else is that Arsenal’s next generation is already here. Two mesmerising goals and an assist in a man-of-the-match display from Max Dowman underlined why the 16-year-old has been compared to a certain Lionel Messi by his manager, Mikel Arteta, as Ipswich were swatted aside with ease. Almost as impressive was the performance of the 17-year-old Marli Salmon, who oozed class in central defence on only the second senior start of his career.
Ipswich won here the last time these two sides met in this competition, in 2011, but were beaten 3-0 in the second leg of the semi-final at the Emirates before Arsenal infamously lost to Birmingham in the final. Fifteen years on, Gary O’Neil’s heavily rotated side stood no chance against last year’s runners up after Dowman’s brilliant opening goal. Noni Madueke and the stand-in skipper Mikel Merino were also on target as Arsenal made it seven wins out of seven to start the new campaign. Having finally ended their long wait for silverware in style, this team are hungry for more and know they can now rely on one of the most exciting talents ever to have emerged from their Hale End academy.
