This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.<\/em><\/p>\n Rio Ferdinand believes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should be fielding Max Dowman on a regular basis during the run-in.<\/strong><\/p>\n The teenager has not shown any fear when playing for the Gunners, and Ferdinand says it\u2019s the kind of spirit the Gunners need to overcome Manchester City in the title race:<\/p>\n \u201cHe could be the key to Mikel Arteta getting Arsenal over the line, I think he\u2019s that good. He\u2019s not got the mental scars that the other players have because of what they\u2019ve gone through in previous seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou might need someone like him to lean on and tell him to be fearless and help us through it, without giving him too much responsibility. He could be a massive key for Arsenal in that sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Most of the first-team have been through a title race where they have come up short, but Dowman does not have those \u201cmental scars.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than playing with restrictions and being extremely regimented, to get over the line, Dowman offers a different approach. Whether Arteta agrees it is the right course of action is another matter.<\/p>\nDowman is ready to make the step up<\/h2>\n
As Ferdinand points out, the teenager\u2019s ability to play with a sense of freedom is exactly what Arsenal need at the moment.<\/p>\n