Delighted Arsenal fans found a new young hero as Max Dowman, aged 16 years and 73 days, sealed a crucial 2-0 home win over Everton to become the youngest Premier League scorer and give his side a nine-point lead in the title race on Saturday.
It had been another nervous evening at The Emirates as Arsenal battled Everton, but all that was forgotten when substitute Dowman produced a moment of magic with virtually the final kick that led to an eruption of celebration.
Dowman had come off the bench along with Viktor Gyokeres on the hour as Arsenal ran out of ideas and were in danger of surrendering control of their destiny as they cruised to a first title since 2004.
But it was Dowman’s sensational cross that wreaked havoc on the Everton defense in the 89th minute, allowing Gyokeres the simplest of tap-ins to break the deadlock.
Then came the moment that everyone in the stadium will remember.
With Everton keeper Jordan Pickford coming onto the pitch for a final corner for the visitors, the ball broke to Dowman, who headed the ball around one Everton player, stepped aside another and ran half the length of the pitch to cross the ball into an empty goal as the Arsenal fans were in delirium.
Essex-born Dowman became the youngest goalscorer for Arsenal, beating Cesc Fabregas, who was 16 years, six months and 28 days when he opened his account for the club mnb8.
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Everton’s James Vaughan was the previous youngest Premier League scorer at 16 years and 270 days.
«It was a great moment, especially the way the goal built up. We had about 10, 15 seconds to really enjoy what was about to happen,» said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
«And it was magical, all the fans and all the players together jumped out of the crowd. It was a beautiful day,» he added.
A win looked unlikely for Arsenal as they tried their luck in the first half when Dwight McNeil was denied by the woodwork for the visitor, creating the better chances.
But it dug deep to secure another three points in its bid for a first title since 2004.
Published on March 15, 2026
