Max Dowman: How Arsenal history maker stole show against Everton
Saturday’s game against Everton looked set to be a frustrating day at the office for Arsenal, who missed the chance to extend their lead over Manchester City at the top of the league.
Their attack was not very successful and Arsenal were denied a penalty in the first half when Kai Havertz tackled Michael Keane in the penalty area.
But as the scoring increased, Arteta turned to 16-year-old Dowman alongside £64m summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, and the youngster turned the game in his favour.
Dowman took the ball in dangerous areas and was unimpressed with the state of the game as he tried to tackle defenders at will.
Gyokeres played a big part in the opening goal as he misjudged Jordan Pickford’s cross before touching the ball.
Dowman then stole the show as he beat two defenders as Pickford took a corner kick as Everton chased an equaliser, and the youngster rolled the ball into the net to spark wild celebrations.
“It was a great moment,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “We had 10-15 seconds, especially to create the goal and enjoy what was about to happen.
“It was magical. The bench and all the players were together, jumping with the crowd. It was a beautiful day.
“It’s not just the goal he scored, [Dowman] changed the game. Every time he gets the ball he makes things happen and we become a bigger threat.
“It’s not normal to do that at that age, in that context, with the pressure and the expectation of winning the game.”
Arteta, who has been talking about Dowman’s abilities all season, was not surprised by the youngster’s performance during the crucial title race win and said the 16-year-old’s training style this week had given him a “gut feeling”.
“It’s so organic for him that he doesn’t feel any pressure. He goes, gets the ball, stays on the ball,” Arteta said.
“It’s natural for him, it’s the best thing, so make sure you do what he feels.
“When you have a talent like that, I’m sure good things will happen. What we do is create memories, create moments.
“For many years to come, I think people in the stadium today will say, ‘I was at the Emirates that day when that 16-year-old scored a goal at such an important stage of the season.’
