Dowman has agreed to sign scholarship terms with Arsenal at the end of this season and will aim to sign a professional deal when he turns 17 years old. Now, he is just 15 but age has not stopped him from claiming a number of appearances under Arteta this season.
The teenager is the second-youngest player in Premier League history behind teammate Ethan Nwaneri, and is often compared to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal due to his vast talent at such a young age.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s game, Arteta revealed he and many others would be blind to ignore Downman’s qualities, which many believe could help lead the side into the future.
"If we looked at his passport every day, we would never play him, simple as that," said Arteta. "But when you look at what he does in training you have to play him - if not you are blind, or I'm blind.
"So it is finding a balance, an understanding, especially the load, the things that are changing in his life, and make sure he can cope with that. So far he has done that.
"He is 15 years old, still growing, a lot of things we have to make sure are under control to make sure he develops in the way he can do."
Dowman has been training with the Arsenal first-team squad since last year, and he is likely to be handed another opportunity to shine against Brighton as Arsenal seek a place in the Quarter Final this week.