Arsenal strengthens grip on title race as Dowman becomes youngest ever Premier League scorer

Arsenal strengthened its grip on the Premier League title race on the day its 16-year-old wonderkid, Max Dowman, scored a brilliant solo goal to become the competition’s youngest ever scorer.

After Arsenal relied on late goals by Viktor Gyokeres and Dowman to snatch a 2-0 home win over Everton, second-place Manchester City could only draw 1-1 at West Ham a few hours later Saturday.

The lead grew to nine points on what might prove to be a defining day in Arsenal's bid for a first English league title since 2004.

It will certainly never be forgotten by Dowman, the school kid and surely a future superstar in English soccer.

At 16 years, 73 days, he changed the game after coming on in the second half for his third Premier League appearance in a breakthrough season that has already seen him become the youngest player in Champions League history.

It was his cross from the right that was missed by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and struck the midriff of Arsenal substitute Piero Hincapie. The ball bounced across the goalmouth and Gyokeres applied the finishing touch from close range.

Then, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Dowman collected the ball midway in his own half after a corner was cleared, dribbled around two players, and raced clear to tap into an empty net. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was stranded upfield having gone up for the corner in search of an equalizer.

City couldn't match Arsenal, surrendering the lead given to Pep Guardiola's team by Bernardo Silva in the 31st minute. Four minutes later, Konstantinos Mavropanos headed home the equalizer at a corner.

It wraps up a tough week for City, which was beaten 3-0 by Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League's round of 16 on Wednesday.

Across London, Chelsea lost 1-0 to Newcastle thanks to an 18th-minute goal by Anthony Gordon.

Chelsea stayed in fifth place but could be overtaken by Liverpool, which hosts struggling Tottenham on Sunday.

Burnley is running out of time and hope in the Premier League.

A 0-0 home draw with Bournemouth on Saturday left next-to-last Burnley — one of the many U.S.-owned teams in England’s top division — eight points from safety with just eight games remaining this season and facing an immediate return to the Championship.

Burnley has won just four of its 30 league games.

Sunderland, another promoted team, appears to be safe from relegation but is limping toward the end of the season after a third straight home loss – this time to Brighton 1-0.

The only goal was a bizarre one, with Yankuba Minteh’s mis-hit cross from the byline somehow squeezing in at the near post in the 58th minute at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland hadn’t lost at home until a defeat to Liverpool on Feb. 11. Since then, it has lost to Fulham and now Brighton.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon scores their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle, in London, Saturday March 14, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

West Ham's Konstantinos Mavropanos celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester City in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland grimaces in pain during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester City in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Arsenal's Max Dowman celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Everton's Dwight McNeil shoots during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's Viktor Gyoekeres, left, and Max Dowman celevrate after a goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Sunderland's Omar Alderete, left, and Brighton and Hove Albion's Danny Welbeck battle for the ball during the Premier League match in Sunderland, England, Saturday March 14, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Sunderland's Lutsharel Geertruida, left, and Brighton and Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh fight for the ball during the Premier League match in Sunderland, England, Saturday March 14, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Europa League specialist Unai Emery is aiming to win the trophy for a record-extending fifth time and with a third different team.

His Aston Villa team faces Freiburg in Istanbul later on Wednesday when he can further enhance his remarkable record in the competition.

Having won Europe's secondary trophy three years running with Sevilla from 2014-16, he then lifted it again with Villarreal in 2021.

Spot a pattern?

If his club's fans are looking for a lucky omen, this is the third team with Villa in its name that Emery has guided to the Europa League final and perhaps the third that he will lead to glory.

Not that the Spaniard, who has been a serial winner during his coaching career, is taking anything for granted.

“I am not a ‘king’ in this competition," he said during his pre-match news conference on Tuesday. "I am now, again, with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done, and of course, it’s there in that moment.

“I need to win tomorrow with the players we have now, with Aston Villa now, with the opponent we will face tomorrow now. It’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.”

Villa, which is fourth in the Premier League and guaranteed to qualify for next season's Champions League, is favorite to beat a Freiburg team that is seventh in the Bundesliga and 10 years ago was playing in Germany's second division.

This is its first European final.

“It is very special," Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said. “I have so much confidence in my team, and they give me that belief because there’s so much quality. I am not nervous, we have the confidence we need to play a great team and a great coach tomorrow.”

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Freiburg's coach Julian Schuster smiles during a press conference ahead of the Europa League final soccer match between Freiburg and Aston Villa in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

Aston Villa fans gather in the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, ahead of the Europa League final soccer match between Freiburg and Aston Villa. (AP Photo)

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery instructs his players during a training session ahead of the Europa League final soccer match between Freiburg and Aston Villa in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery looks down during a press conference ahead of the Europa League final soccer match between Freiburg and Aston Villa in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

Aston Villa fans light flares and chant as they gather in the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, ahead of the Europa League final soccer match between Freiburg and Aston Villa. (AP Photo)