The teenager came off the bench last November, aged 15 years and 308 days, to become the youngest player ever to appear in the competition.
As luck would have it, Arsenal face Slavia in the Champions League again on Wednesday, 4th November, and Dowman could return to Mikel Arteta's side.
It was a brief cameo in Prague for the wide midfielder 12 months ago, replacing Leandro Trossard in the 72nd minute as the Gunners eased to a 3-0 victory, but he could play a more prominent role this time.
Since making his Champions League debut in the Czech capital, Dowman has made three more appearances in the competition, alongside six in the Premier League, two in the FA Cup and another two in the EFL Cup.
He has scored three goals for Arsenal's senior side so far, registering one assist along the way.
He'd have almost certainly made more of an impact had he not picked up an ankle injury last December, sidelining him for about four months.
From Essex to London
Dowman began his fledgling career with Billericay Town before joining Arsenal's youth ranks in 2015.
He made his U18s debut at just 13 years old and began training with the seniors a year later, hinting at what was to come.
During the 2024/25 season, he scored 19 goals and provided five assists in 23 appearances for Arsenal's U18s. That included a spell in which he scored a staggering 14 goals in the final seven matches of the U18 Premier League season.
Not dissimilar to Jack Grealish, or maybe even Cole Palmer, Dowman is a tidy, technically assured player who often takes a fair amount of punishment from opponents.
A talented dribbler, his sharp changes of direction make him difficult to contain, while he is already good at using his body to protect the ball and win fouls despite his age.
A recent setback
Most recently, Dowman made headlines in unfortunate circumstances. The teenager was shown a red card as Arsenal were dumped out of the EFL Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.
He kicked out after what was undeniably a poor challenge by Harrison Neal, who is a much more experienced player.
The incident followed another dismissal while representing England's U19s, highlighting the need for him to mature as quickly as he climbs the ranks.
"This is the environment, this is the reality. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League," Arteta said of Dowman's sending-off.
"We look after him so much but, at the same time, we're going to demand from him like everybody else because he needs to earn the right to play."
More responsibility
Dowman has made a total of 18 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal's senior team so far, playing around 700 minutes as Arteta carefully bleeds him into the team.
His first appearance this season was against Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup, when he bagged a brace in a 4-2 win, becoming the first 16-year-old since Wayne Rooney in 2002 to score twice in a match for a Premier League club.
Will he start against Slavia? Maybe, but given most of his senior action has come in the EFL Cup, it would be a mistake to assume he will.
It would, however, be poetic for him to make another appearance at the stadium where his Champions League story began, so he is likely to feature.
Dowman arrived in Prague 12 months ago as a schoolboy making a memorable cameo, but he returns as a record-breaking 16-year-old with senior goals and experience under his belt.
The next stage of his development will depend on whether he can turn those flashes of brilliance into the consistency required to become a regular at Arsenal.
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Ste Carson is a senior editor for Flashscore, covering football, darts, F1, rugby union and tennis. A Liverpool native and lifelong Liverpool FC supporter, he also keeps a close eye on non-league club Marine and the Scottish Premiership. You can follow him on Bluesky.
