Arsenal defeated Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The late victory temporarily extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the English Premier League table to 10 points over Manchester City, who have two games in hand.
Sixteen-year-old substitute Max Dowman secured the win in stoppage time, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the competition. At 16 years and 73 days old, Dowman broke the previous record of 16 years and 270 days set by James Vaughan.
Arsenal struggled to break through Everton’s defense for the first 89 minutes of the match. Everton played without starting centre-backs James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite but managed to keep the match scoreless for the majority of regulation time.
Everton midfielder Dwight McNeil hit the post with an early attempt. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya later saved a shot from Beto early in the second half to keep the game tied.
Manager Mikel Arteta substituted Dowman into the match late in the second half. In the 89th minute, Dowman delivered a cross that rebounded off Piero Hincapie. Viktor Gyokeres collected the ball and scored the opening goal for Arsenal.
Deep into stoppage time, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford moved forward for a corner kick. Dowman bypassed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall deep inside his own half and sprinted down the pitch to score into an empty net.
🚨 Max Dowman is the youngest ever Premier League goal scorer of all time at 16 years and 74 days old.
He surpasses James Vaughan, who was 16 years and 270 days old! 💎💫#arseve #epl pic.twitter.com/HXKOTrBBMZ
— Wahala Realm Entertainment🔥 (@WahalaRealMent) March 14, 2026
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Arteta praised the teenager’s performance under the pressure of a title race.
“It was magical, all the bench and players together jumping up with the crowd, it was a beautiful day,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “He changed the game every time he got the ball. He made things happen and we looked like more of a threat. To do it at that age, in this context, with the pressure and expectations to win the game, it’s just not normal.”
Gyokeres also commended his younger teammate’s composure during the pivotal sequence.
“He takes the right decisions most of the time as well,” Gyokeres said. “You can see with the goal, he definitely took the right one.”
The win keeps Arsenal on track in their pursuit of a first league title in 22 years. The historic achievement marks a significant moment in English sports history as the club continues its campaign across multiple competitions.