The prodigy Max Dowman: Arsenal's 'secret weapon'

Since joining Arsenal, Max Dowman has continuously broken records for the London club. And now, he is aiming for the Premier League title alongside "The Gunners".

This season, Max Dowman became the youngest player ever to compete in the UEFA Champions League, the youngest player to start for Arsenal, and also the youngest player to appear for "The Gunners" in the FA Cup.

Max Dowman makes history

And now, after scoring in the 2-0 victory over Everton, Dowman has become the youngest goal scorer in Premier League history (16 years 73 days). Dowman is also the second youngest player to wear Arsenal's shirt and the second youngest player to appear in the Premier League.

Dowman has been training with Arsenal's first team since he was 14 years old, and his talent has even been compared to Lionel Messi by coach Mikel Arteta.

At 16 years old, Dowman stands 1.83 meters tall. Additionally, Dowman possesses excellent dribbling skills, along with the fearless strength of youth. Dowman can play as an attacking midfielder and a right winger, excelling at youth levels.

In recent weeks, Arteta even told Dowman's father, Rob, that Dowman's school schedule at Brentwood might need adjustment. The reason is simple: "Because there's a championship waiting!"

Arsenal believes Dowman can make a significant contribution to the team in the Premier League title race. Beyond his talent, his "football brain" is described as extraordinary. Arteta's tactical instructions and pressing are famously complex, requiring months for many professional players to grasp, but Dowman understands them in seconds.

Returning to the match against Everton, Arsenal's attack wasn't operating smoothly, but everything changed after Gyokeres and Dowman came on.

Dowman consistently received the ball in dangerous areas and showed no pressure from the match, readily confronting opposing defenders. Dowman played a key role in the opening goal when his cross caused goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to misjudge, allowing Gyokeres to easily tap the ball into the net.

"Arsenal's 'secret weapon'

Later, Dowman himself became the focus when he bypassed two defenders while Pickford was preoccupied joining Everton's corner kick situation. First, Dowman made a surprising decision by pushing the ball past Mykolenko. With Pickford rushing back to the goal, many players might have shot immediately from distance. But Dowman displayed astonishing composure, bypassing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, then dribbling into the penalty area before finishing.

"It's not just the goal he scored; Dowman changed the game. Every time he had the ball, anything could happen, and we became more dangerous," Coach Arteta stated after the match.

This is not the first time this season that Coach Mikel Arteta has used the bench to turn the match's momentum in Arsenal's favor. "The Gunners" spent around £250 million in last summer's transfer window, plus young talents promoted from the academy like Max Dowman. The result is Arsenal's squad depth, possessing quality individuals who can change the game when coming off the bench.

Both Arsenal's goals against Everton were scored and assisted by players coming off the bench. This means Arsenal has 11 goals and 10 assists from substitutes this season, more than 7 times any other Premier League team.

With 7 matches remaining in the season, Arsenal holds a significant advantage in the Premier League title race, creating a 9-point gap with Man City (Pep Guardiola's team has played one fewer match). While Man City faltered on a day Haaland was silent, Arsenal still knows how to win with a 'secret weapon' like Dowman.