Since Saturday, Max Dowman has been the youngest Premier League goalscorer of all time. The hype surrounding the Arsenal teenager knows no bounds.
Unsurprisingly, the whole of England was talking over the weekend about that one goal that has gone down in history. But Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg also highlighted what had happened just a few minutes earlier – an event that may well have been decisive in realising a long-held dream – and which, of course, is closely linked to the name Max Dowman.
"I think they won the Premier League right then and there, with that cross," said Ljungberg on Viaplay, referring to a move by Dowman in the 89th minute. In the right half of the pitch, the 16-year-old Arsenal gem found himself with plenty of space against Everton and consequently had plenty of time to think about what to do with the ball.
"You’re still so young and you have the confidence to play that cross – lots of young players would simply have played it across and passed the responsibility on to someone else," Ljungberg explained. Dowman didn’t play it across to Declan Rice, who was unmarked in the centre, but instead struck the ball with his powerful left foot, putting plenty of spin and pace on it towards the far post. There, Everton keeper Jordan Pickford let the ball sail past him, and after deflecting off Piero Hincapie, it fell at the feet of Arsenal’s centre-forward Viktor Gyökeres, who simply had to slot it into the empty net from a metre out to give London a late 1-0 lead.
It was the breakthrough in a match that had seemed destined to end in a goalless draw. Ljungberg, who caused havoc in north London from 1998 to 2007, put forward the theory: “If Arsenal had only drawn, Manchester City would probably have beaten West Ham United.” In reality, Arsenal picked up three points and later on Saturday evening, City could only manage a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
So this weekend may well have been a decisive one in the English title race: even if City were to win their outstanding game in hand, league leaders Arsenal’s lead over their closest pursuers stands at six points with seven matchdays remaining. Had the Gunners drawn against Everton and the Sky Blues won at West Ham, that lead could have been reduced to just two points.
Max Dowman becomes the youngest Premier League goalscorer in history
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s decision on Saturday to bring on his youngest player for the final quarter of an hour with the score at 0–0 was therefore spot on. And the fact that Dowman went on to make history in stoppage time was the icing on the cake. It was also very impressive.
Everton’s keeper Pickford had come forward for a corner in the hope of equalising. Arsenal cleared the danger, however, and 25 metres from his own goal, Dowman left Vitaliy Mykolenko in his wake with a clever first touch. Just before the halfway line, only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall stood in his way – and he left him in his wake too. With no further opposition, the teenager was finally able to run towards the empty net, slotting the ball over the line and sending the stadium into ecstasy.
At 16 years and 73 days, Dowman has since become the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. Well ahead of the previous record-holder, James Vaughan, who was nearly 200 days older when he scored his first EPL goal in 2005. And even further ahead, incidentally, of legends such as Wayne Rooney (16 years and 360 days), Cesc Fabregas (17 years and 113 days) and Michael Owen (17 years and 143 days).
Max Dowman impresses with his remarkable maturity: "I've never seen anything like it in my life"
What makes Dowman’s record all the more impressive is that Arteta isn’t giving the youngster playing time simply so he can later boast about having discovered him. Nor is it because he wants to throw him on here and there when there isn’t much at stake anyway. No. Arteta is convinced that, despite his extremely young age (he only turned 16 on New Year’s Eve!), Dowman can already make a difference at the highest level. Against Everton, the prodigy provided impressive proof of this.
“Arteta couldn’t care less whether Dowman is 16 or 66. He brought him on to win the game,” emphasised former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, speaking as a TV pundit for BBC Sport, and predicted: “We have a truly special player in England.”
Dowman began making headlines early on. Last summer, Arteta promoted the then 15-year-old to the first team – and in friendly matches against big-name clubs, Dowman showed that he was already more than a match for them. “What he did on the pitch is not normal for a boy of that age,” enthused Arteta after a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in July. And English defensive legend Rio Ferdinand gushed: “He is the best 15-year-old in England – perhaps even in the whole world.”
Alongside his absurdly good left foot and outstanding dribbling, Dowman also possesses a physique that is astonishingly good for his age. This is another reason why Arteta has no qualms about placing his trust in the highly talented youngster. The fact that Dowman had to sit out for two and a half months between mid-December and the end of February due to an ankle injury did not have a negative impact on his development.
Nevertheless, Arteta is also very careful to nurture what is arguably England’s greatest young talent. Dowman has made seven appearances for the first team so far this season; on his Premier League debut against Leeds United in August (5-0), he came on as a substitute and cleverly won a penalty with a fine piece of movement. "We see that from him every day in training," Arteta told BBC Sport afterwards, showing little surprise at Dowman’s impressive first league appearance.
The Spaniard also explained how intensely Arsenal are focusing on what is best for the attacking midfielder’s development. "We’ve been looking at how he reacts to certain situations," Arteta revealed. Despite his standout moments in pre-season, Dowman was deliberately left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against Manchester United, for example. To see whether he would let it get to him or carry on undeterred. The latter was clearly the case.
In any case, Arteta paid "a huge compliment to his family. They have raised a lad with a maturity, stability and hunger that you rarely find elsewhere." Dowman, at just 15 at the time, was "already so convinced that he can deliver – I’ve never seen that in my life," praised Arteta.
Messi comparison: A Chelsea legend is also impressed by Max Dowman
Since the start of the season, Arteta has only brought on the England Under-19 international once in the FA Cup and once in the League Cup. Otherwise, he hopes Dowman’s carefree attitude will provide a spark in the closing stages – a strategy that proved highly successful against Everton.
“Go out there, do your thing and win the game for us,” Arteta revealed he told Dowman before bringing him on. “I told him that these are the moments in a season when something special has to happen. He knows he has the ability to do it. I just have to give him the chance and he has to deliver." Dowman "changed the game", emphasised Arsenal’s successful manager on Sky Sports. "He made us more dangerous. To manage that at this age on this stage, with this pressure – that’s simply not normal. It comes naturally to him and he just does what he feels. When you have that kind of talent, good things are bound to happen."
Meanwhile, John Terry, a legend from Arsenal’s city rivals Chelsea FC, also joined in the praise for Dowman. The former world-class defender, now a youth coach at the Blues, did not even shy away from a comparison with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi. "What a player, absolutely incredible," said Terry in a TikTok video about Dowman, adding: "I saw him play against Chelsea about a year ago. Apart from Lionel Messi, I haven’t seen anyone leave their opponents standing like that. That’s obviously a very big comparison, but this lad is a massive talent. He’ll play a huge role in Arsenal’s and England’s future."
In the near future, Dowman’s first priority is to win his first titles with the Gunners. The fans are naturally dreaming of the league title in particular; it would be their first since 2004. Five and a half years before the birth of the man who, against Everton, may have provided a decisive moment on the path to fulfilling that dream.
Max Dowman's statistics for Arsenal this season
| Missions | 7 |
| Minutes played | 236 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |