The youngest goalscorer in Premier League history is now an Arsenal player.
Was there ever any doubt that a certain Max Dowman would break that record? Arguably not.
This is a 16-year-old kid who’s been breaking records for years now, notably playing for the club’s U18 side at the age of 13. Not only is he the youngest scorer in the division’s history, but he’s the youngest player in Champions League history too.
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Compared to the great Lionel Messi, his goal against Everton was a moment for the ages. You will always remember where you were when Dowman scored his first goal for the Gunners.
Dowman's magical influence against Everton
Arsenal were sleepwalking to yet another underwhelming result in the Premier League in 2026 on Saturday evening.
Mikel Arteta’s attack has hardly been firing of late but he called upon his secret weapon with 16 minutes left of the clash and it won him the game.
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Dowman’s appearance was only fleeting but it was a remarkable one. Not only did he score that brilliant goal in injury time but the teen also had a part to play in the first goal.
The youngster grabbed the ball on the right and then swung in a brilliant delivery. Jordan Pickford raced out of his goal, missed the ball and then Arsenal found the net.
The ball in hit Piero Hincapie before Viktor Gyokeres tapped the chance into an empty net. It was perhaps the Swede’s most important goal since arriving in north London last summer.
That said, the striker’s own role in winning Arsenal the game was totally overshadowed by Dowman’s first goal in Arsenal colours.
With Pickford up for a corner, it allowed the hosts to break with pace in the dying embers and it was all led by the Hale Ender. He nodded the ball past one man, shifted the ball past another and then darted towards an empty net when bedlam ensued inside the Emirates Stadium.
As Sky Sports’ Alan Smith said, it was one of the “moments of the season”. It’s hard to disagree, certainly from an Arsenal point of view.
Dowman was swamped by his teammates, the players jumped into the crowd and the Gunners celebrated a vital three points.
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)
What the future holds for the teenager remains to be seen but things certainly look bright for Arsenal.
Arsenal have signed another Dowman
Arsenal are a club with a rich history, particularly when it comes to producing exceptional homegrown talent.
In the modern era, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Jack Wilshere have trodden the academy pathway to first-team stardom.
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Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly then burst onto the scene last season before Max Dowman made his own impact in 2025/26.
What that set of teenagers have achieved in the last year or so has truly been a sight to behold but the crop of young players at the Emirates Stadium is set to get better soon.
Indeed, back in December, it was announced that the club had agreed to sign Ecuadorian twins, Edwin and Holger Quintero.
Edwin is a right winger by trade who can also play in a more central role behind the striker, much like Dowman. However, like Arsenal’s teenage superstar, Holger’s preferred position is an attacking midfield, or as a no.10 as it’s more commonly known now.
Both are the same age as Dowman, 16, but the world is already being predicted of these two young forwards. Why? Well, it certainly helps that they came through the academy of Independiente Del Valle, the same club who produced Arsenal’s very own Piero Hincapie and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo and Kendry Paez.
One of the best youth systems in world football right now, the Quintero twins have certainly had a mighty fine upbringing from a football perspective and it was hardly a surprise when one of Europe’s top clubs picked them up.
That said, however exciting they may well be, we will not see them in action for Arsenal until 2027 when they turn 18. For now, Arsenal fans will have to watch their progress from afar.
In this instance, we want to focus more on Holger Quintero, who certainly boasts a set of Dowman-like traits that make him one of the finest young players in the world.
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Described as a “decisive creator with a killer final ball" who has "excellent vision to see the whole game" but also "1v1 prowess to take on players” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, it really is easy to see where the Dowman comparisons come from.
He has that knack of creating something out nothing, just like Arsenal’s wonderkid while his technical ability for someone of his age is simply off the charts. Based on that, it is no wonder Arsenal signed him.
If you don’t believe the hype already, then scout Jacek Kulig also holds the teenager in high esteem, labelled Quintero as “one of the most exciting U17s in South America”.
While he is yet to earn a first team debut at Independiente, it surely won’t be long for a player who’s already capped by his country at youth level.
Furthermore, they’ve already blown staff away at London Colney. Holger and his brother took part in a trial with the Gunners last summer and according to reports, they were left ‘blown away’ with their physical data and skills.
Making waves at a remarkably young age, there is every reason to believe that Arsenal may well have another Dowman walking into the club in the best part of 18 months.
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