Riccardo Calafioli shares his predictions for Max Dauman after Arsenal wonderkid makes history

Max Dauman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at the weekend and Riccardo Calafioli believes his goal could be a turning point for Arsenal

Riccardo Calafioli has declared Max Daumann’s late goal against Everton to be Arsenal’s “best moment of the season” and insists there is still more to come for the record-breaking wonder.

It was Calafioli’s acrobatic ‘Scorpion Block’ goal-line block that thwarted Everton’s Dwight McNeil, setting the stage for a dramatic victory that changed the atmosphere at the Emirates.

They will now face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in a close 1-1 draw, but they are in high spirits. They had more faith and were smiling again.

There was a lot of talk about set-pieces and style of play, but Dauman, who at 16 became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, completely changed the focus in the run-in. Italy’s defender Calafioli said, “Even in small things like this, big things usually happen, and I believe that big things will happen. I think so.”

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“At the end of the game I was very, very happy, especially the second goal. We were all happy and ran towards him (Dauman) and the fans. It was almost a fight with the fans, in a good way, obviously. It was amazing. It was probably the best moment of the season so far, at least in the Premier League, for sure.”

Arsenal are currently nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, with four trophies in their sights, and remain favorites despite Leverkusen’s 1-1 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday.

It could be a season to remember for Arsenal, with Calafioli insisting everyone is working hard to end the Gunners’ 22-year wait for the title. They have never won the Champions League in their history.

Calafioli smiled when asked about his heroic intervention to save the goal, which was dubbed the “scorpion block.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen it,” he said. “I just reacted because I saw the guy taking the shot and I knew I had to close the space as much as possible. We love to defend our home, our goal, and we try to do everything.

“I think it was the best game ever and it was very important for the result and for the team. I’m really happy. I think the atmosphere was also incredible. Like I said, it was an important game and I’m very happy to win for the team.”

“As we proved last Saturday, our main goal is to defend our goals and we will continue to fight with all our heart to save the team and get a result. So I think this mentality is much more important.”

Calafioli is an elegant defender, very classy on the ball and gives Arsenal an additional dimension from left-back, often flipping into midfield. But even he says the rest of Arsenal’s team have been amazed by Doman’s progress from being a student doing his GCSEs to becoming a Premier League phenomenon. He is likely to be on the bench against Leverkusen, even if it is a school night.

Calafioli added: “It’s quite surprising when we watch him. For the players, what’s it like when they watch him? Well, when they see him for the first time on the pitch, of course they’ll be very interested in him.”

“I think he is very young, but at the same time very mature on the pitch. Still, for sure, he can improve a lot of things, but he is talented, you can see that. But at the same time I think we have to keep him quiet and not talk too much about him, because he has everything.”

Arsenal are expected to be without Julian Timber, who missed training, but Martin Odegaard hopes to return for the Carabao Cup final despite missing the game against Leverkusen.

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