Max Dowman, a 16-year-old Arsenal winger, became the Premier League's youngest ever scorer with a remarkable stoppage-time goal in his team's 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
Dowman collected the ball midway in his own half, dribbled around two Everton players and raced clear unchallenged from the halfway line to tap into an empty net, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford stranded upfield having gone forward for a corner.
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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)
Everton's Vitaliy Mykolenko pulls Arsenal's Max Dowman during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Max Dowman scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Max Dowman in action to scoreduring the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
An English soccer prodigy, Dowman — at 16 years, 73 days — was playing just his third Premier League match after two previous substitute appearances at the start of the season.
“He doesn’t seem to be fazed by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent, he just plays so naturally,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “He makes decisions to make things happen, and what he delivered was incredible.”
Asked what he said to Dowman after deciding to bring him on, Arteta replied: “Go and do your thing and win us the game.”
Dowman broke the record of former Everton player James Vaughan, who was 16 years, 270 days when he scored against Crystal Palace in 2005.
In November, Dowman became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years, 308 days when he entered as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague.
Dowman is still in school. He was 14 when he was asked by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to train with the senior team in December last year and he starred on the club’s preseason tour of Asia in matches against AC Milan and Newcastle.
To abide by Premier League regulations for players under 18, Dowman has to change into his Arsenal kit for training sessions and matches in a separate locker room than his senior teammates.
1. Max Dowman: 16 years, 73 days (for Arsenal against Everton on 2026)
2. James Vaughan: 16 years, 270 days (for Everton against Crystal Palace in 2005)
3. James Milner: 16 years, 356 days (for Leeds against Sunderland in 2002)
4. Wayne Rooney: 16 years, 360 days (for Everton against Arsenal in 2002)
5. Rio Ngumoha: 16 years, 361 days (for Liverpool against Newcastle in 2025)
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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)
Everton's Vitaliy Mykolenko pulls Arsenal's Max Dowman during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Max Dowman scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Max Dowman in action to scoreduring the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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)
