Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman joined Wayne Rooney as the only 16-year-olds to score multiple goals in a game for a Premier League club after his brace in the Carabao Cup win at Ipswich Town on Tuesday.
Dowman made headlines last season with a goal and assist during a vital 2-0 win at home to Everton in the Gunners' Premier League title success, but after four unused substitute appearances during this campaign, he played for the under-21s on Saturday.
Three days later Dowman produced a superb individual goal seven minutes into his first appearance this term before he added another straight after halftime to propel Arsenal to a 4-2 win.
Rooney's brace as a 16-year-old also came in the League Cup when playing for Everton against Wrexham in October 2002.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said it would be hard to keep the hype down after this latest star showing.
"A joy to have him," Arteta said in his news conference. "It's inevitable to talk about him when he scores and he creates the moments that he has created tonight. It's normal.
"He can deliver those actions effortlessly, I would say. That's his biggest quality and defensively, his application, his capacity as well to sustain the actions, which is not easy, he's 16 years old and he can create moments but consistently to go through the game.
"With the demands that we put in them, to be able to do that is extremely difficult and he's coping better and better and better.
"He's an unbelievable player because of the character that he has and how much he loves to play at the biggest stage."
Last season Dowman became the youngest player to start a Premier League fixture when he was named in the lineup against Crystal Palace.
Arteta had warned Dowman in the buildup to Tuesday's game that any minutes this season must be earned and the wonderkid needed only seven to make his mark at Portman Road.
Dowman nipped in to intercept before he exchanged passes with Eberechi Eze and proceeded to dance around Cedric Kipre on his way to firing into the bottom corner for a superb solo goal.
His second goal came only 98 seconds after halftime when Dowman controlled MartÃn Zubimendi's deflected pass and opened up his body to slot into the bottom corner with his left foot.
"It's not easy [to contain the hype], I understand, but what we have to do is look after him," Arteta added. "He's 16 years old. You don't see that in this league.
"In other leagues in Europe, that's a totally different context, but in this league, with the demands that the league [has], the players and everything put on you, we really need to make sure every time we throw him in, he's in the right context with the right preparation.
"The probability is probably extremely low because you don't see the players with the capacity to handle just the physicality of the game ... but he's doing it and he's doing it really well every time there's a chance.
"It's a lot of things that you need to grow, but at 16 to already do what he does, it's just incredible."
Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino also scored for Arsenal, while Anis Mehmeti and Chuba Akpom grabbed late consolations for the home side.
It was a sixth straight win across all competitions to open the season for Arsenal, who are showing impressive strength in depth that should enable Arteta's squad to challenge on multiple fronts.
ESPN Research, PA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
