Arsenal needed a spark to hand their supporters fresh hope of winning the Premier League title and boy did they get that on Saturday afternoon.
Max Dowman, a child, a 16-year-old boy who is yet to sit his GCSE’s raced clear, sat down the final line of the Everton defence and then sealed a remarkable late 2-0 win for the Gunners.
Max-Dowman-Arsenal-1
Dowman’s goal was described as one of the moments of the season by Sky Sports’ Alan Smith and it’s hard to disagree with that. This was his first Arsenal goal and it was a record-breaking one at that, ensuring he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.
He beats a record held by James Vaughan, funnily enough of Everton, and it even beats the great Wayne Rooney. The teenager, it would appear, is a little bit special.
Dowman's rise to stardom
While Ethan Nwaneri may have Dowman beat as far as the division’s youngest-ever player is concerned, the latter has been breaking records for a number of years now.
He made his debut for Arsenal’s U18s at the age of just 13. He is the youngest goal scorer in the history of the UEFA Youth League and he is the youngest player to ever feature in the Champions League.
Youngest PL scorers
Player
Max Dowman (Arsenal)
James Vaughan (Everton)
James Milner (Leeds)
Wayne Rooney (Everton)
Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Michael Owen (Liverpool)
John Terry remarked after Saturday’s win that he plays in a similar way to Lionel Messi and while expectations must be tempered a tad, it’s clear that this 16-year-old is a generational talent.
Hale End has produced some incredible footballers throughout the years with Jack Wilshere and Bukayo Saka the most famous recent examples. However, Dowman looks like the best of the lot.
His goal on Saturday was a thing of beauty and it demonstrated exactly what he’s all about. As the Toffees aimed to find a late equaliser, they sent Jordan Pickford forward, only for Arsenal to clear their lines and break forward.
Still, Dowman had so much to do. The youngster nodded the ball past one Everton player and then took Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall out of the game with a stunning display of quick feet. The rest certainly was easy. He broke through into the final third of the pitch and stroked the ball into an empty net.
Bedlam. Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli charged towards Dowman to celebrate with him and all of the subs rushed into the pitch. Into the crowd the players poured as Mikel Arteta screamed “VAMOS” at the top his lungs.
Rice-Dowman-Martinelli-Arsenal
It was a unforgettable moment and on a day in which Manchester City dropped two points away at West Ham, felt decisive in the title race.
While the squad will undoubtedly be buzzing right now, there are a few members of the team who should be fearing for their long-term futures now Dowman has broken through.
Dowman’s emergence is bad news for several Arsenal players
What an entrance to first-team life this has been for the teenager. Last weekend, he dazzled and sparkled against Mansfield Town in the FA Cup but the way in which he impacted the win over Everton was something else.
Arsenal needed something to lift them in the title race and Dowman’s emergence as a genuine first-team option was it.
As a result, it should cause plenty in the squad to think about raising their level, not least a certain Bukayo Saka who has now scored just twice since the start of December.
The academy graduate’s favoured position, however, is just behind the striker and that should undoubtedly have skipper Martin Odegaard fearing over what the future holds for him in that position.
Odegaard-Arteta-Arsenal
While the Norwegian is unlikely to be discarded come the summer, the same cannot be said of Martinelli and Leandro Trossard who have struggled big time at various stages this term.
While the two players traditionally operate off the left, another attacking player entering the fray in the form of Dowman is not good news for them at all.
Indeed, neither were in the starting XI on Saturday with Madueke favoured off the left and if the Englishman continues to operate in that position, it could give Arsenal’s teenage sensation the freedom to play off the right, or even in the pocket behind the striker.
Madueke-Arsenal-Leverkusen
Another option behind the striker could give Arteta the freedom to play Eberechi Eze off the left too, further dampening Trossard’s and Martinelli’s hopes of a long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.
While the Belgian began the campaign on fire, scoring eight times and registering six assists in his first 22 matches the winger has now not found the net in 15 straight games. He’s also injured again.
As for his Brazilian colleague, he has enjoyed more success in 2026 but has been more of a cup merchant, scoring a hat-trick against Portsmouth while also finding the net against Kairat Almaty and Wigan Athletic.
In the league, though, Martinelli has only scored once all season and has started just nine times. On that evidence, Dowman is rather embarrassing the pair of them.
His ability to influence the game was far more visible than either have been of late and it speaks volumes about Martinelli that Dowman has already equalled his tally for the Premier League campaign.
Gabriel-Martinelli-Arsenal-Mansfield
Whether or not Arsenal decide to strengthen on the flanks this summer, they do have Eze and Madueke as options. The likelihood of those two earning minutes on the left surely increases with Dowman now a genuine option off the right and in the middle.
For Trossard and Martinelli, signed for a combined £33m, it looks like they should both be sold this summer.
dowman-gyokeres-arsenal Related
Embarrassed by Dowman: Arteta must drop Arsenal star who lost the ball 20 times
Arsenal strengthened their Premier League title bid with a 2-0 win over Everton last night.