To compete in England's Premier League, players must have reached 15 years of age before August 31, meaning Gabriel has yet to progress to the United first team. Dowman made history by scoring against Everton last weekend and becoming the youngest player ever to score in the Premier League. However, there was a period when he couldn't feature for the Gunners' first team, due to a Premier League rule prohibiting those under the age of 16. ‌Dowman didn't satisfy the strict age criteria in 2024, so the teenager had to wait until August 2025 to make his Premier League debut for Arsenal. Current interim boss Michael Carrick has expressed admiration for the teenager as he confirmed Gabriel's exclusion from Premier League action ahead of their journey to Bournemouth.

Source: Daily Mirror March 21, 2026 14:11 UTC