Max Dauman may now be a regular in Arsenal’s first-team matchday squad, but he still has to be substituted separately from the rest of his team-mates under Premier League rules. The 16-year-old capped off the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday by carrying the ball the length of the pitch and slotting it into an empty net as the Toffees sent goalkeeper Jordan Pickford forward in a corner and looked for a late equaliser. The strike sparked jubilant celebrations inside the Emirates Stadium.
At this moment, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League and etched his name into the history of the Premier League. The win against Everton, combined with Man City’s 1-1 stalemate against West Ham, allowed Arsenal to establish a nine-point lead over the title challengers.
Dowman made a big contribution to the victory, but his age means he has to be changed by his team-mates before and after matches, even after his goal against Everton.
Premier League regulations state that players under the age of 18 must change in a separate changing room from the main team during training and matches.
Dowman and Arsenal are unaffected as they are sponsored by Emirates, but the regulations also mean players under the age of 18 cannot wear betting sponsors on their kits. In some cases, young players may wear unsponsored uniforms for that reason.
Despite his young age, Mikel Arteta replaced Dauman in the crucial 15th minute of the game against Everton. When he entered the pitch, the score was still 0-0.
The Arsenal manager explained his decision in the post-match press conference. “I probably had a hunch in my head,” he says. “Yesterday, he had been training for the last few days and I felt it was his chance now.
“Maybe because he doesn’t look like he’s facing the moment, the situation, the opponent. He just plays very naturally. He makes decisions to make things happen, and what he brought was unbelievable.”
“Some of the things he does are against the best defenders in the world.
“So he could do it against anyone else and there are always questions. Yeah, but he’s 16 years old and there’s the crowd and the pressure and the expectations, but he doesn’t seem too fazed by it and he had a great moment for all of us.”
