FA PREMIER LEAGUE

ARSENAL 2 (Gyokeres 89, Dowman 96)

EVERTON 0 

THE Arsenal faithful will be feeling decidedly old after another heart threatening 90 minutes was settled by a fresh-faced kid yet to take his GCSEs.

Max Dowman, who recently turned 16, lived-out every teenage footballer’s dream by scoring a thrilling injury time solo goal before jumping the barriers into a sea of home supporters – becoming the youngest ever player to score in the Premier League.

With Everton’s keeper Jordan Pickford stranded after going up for a corner in search of an equaliser, fearless Dowman nodded the ball past one defender, jinked past the next with lovely soft feet, and found himself on the half way life with a clear run at goal.

Minutes earlier he had swung in a peach of a cross that bamboozled Pickford, and landed on Hincapie’s thigh, bouncing across to Viktor Gyokeres for a tap in.

It didn’t feel like the breakthrough was going to come after a dogged Everton performance and yet more wayward shooting from the Gunners’ frontline.

But Mikel Arteta’s blend of grit and caution is winning games and Arsenal are sitting pretty nine points clear with seven games left after City drew with West Ham.

After the match, Arteta said: “I had a gut feeling, he was training the last few days.

“It was a moment for him, probably because he doesn’t seem to be phased by the occasion, the opponent or the game.”

He added: “You have to see him train every single day, he does it against these defenders who are in my opinion the best in the world.”

It could have been a very different version of Arteta giving the post-match press conference, after another frustrating watch for the home fans.

Arsenal had been restricted to mainly long range shots that dribbled wide or were blazed over.

Everton had the most clear cut chances – both in the first half.

A snapshot from Beto triggering another amazing reaction save from David Raya and Dwight McNeil was denied by a fortunate acrobatic block by Riccardo Calafiori.

The winger then hit the post with a curling effort from that had the keeper well beaten.

The rebound could easily have laid an opener on a plate for the visitors – but the wheel of fortune is favouring Arsenal right now.

There was a big shout for a penalty in the first half after Kai Havertz went down after colliding with Michael Keane when clear through on goal.

In real time, it looked soft but replays showed there was a clip on the boot.

Arsenal had started with Noni Madueke on the left, Havertz up front and Eze n the middle, with Saka on the right.

Saka had another frustrating afternoon and the fans were not happy when Madueke was subbed off for Gabi Martinelli, many feeling he should have been moved over to the right where he is most effective.

In the  end, Dowman was brought on to play on the right – with Saka moved into a central position. And Gyokeres replaced Havertz up front.

Everton have one of the best away records in the league and before this game had lost only one of their previous 10 matches on the road.

Defender Jurien Timber went off injured in the first half.

Next up it’s home again to Leverkusen in the Champions League second leg on Tuesday, before the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

Arsenal: Raya, Calafiori (Hincapié 74), Gabriel, Saliba, Timber (Mosquera 38), Rice, Zubimendi (Dowman 74), Madueke (Martinelli 61), Eze, Saka, Havertz (Gyökeres 61)
Subs not used: Kepa, Lewis-Skelly, White, Jesus

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Keane, O’Brien, Garner, Gueye (George 95), Iroegbunam (Röhl 86), Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil (Armstrong 86), Beto (Barry 69)
Subs not used: Armstrong, Aznou, Coleman, Dibling, Patterson, Travers