TThe night at the Emirates will be one of the memorable games at the end of the season should Arsenal win the Premier League for the first time in over 20 years. Much of that was due to the performance of Max Dowman (Chelmsford, England, 2009), who made his mark in English football history at the age of 16 years, 2 months and 11 days. Pure Hail End.
The scenario with just over 15 minutes remaining was dramatic. Lacking ideas, Everton held out for a draw that would turn the Premier League upside down. It was then that Mikel Arteta turned to the sidelines and called up Max Dauman. His development was halted by an ankle injury in early December when he was just 15 years old, and he only made his return to the first team last week in the FA Cup against Mansfield.
Mikel Arteta said after the match: “There was probably a hunch. He was training yesterday and in my head I thought it was a good moment for him.” “He doesn’t seem fazed by the moment, the situation, the opponent. He just plays very naturally. He makes decisions to make things happen and what he delivered was unbelievable.”
Perhaps it was a premonition. Yesterday he was training and in my head I thought it was a good time for him
To tell the truth, he is still a greenfield player. Especially physically. But there’s no denying that something happens every time the ball passes his feet. He handed out two important passes, completed 2/4 dribbles, forced two fouls, and won 4/8 duels. There was no stopping him and as the match was about to go into stoppage time, he headed up on the edge of the area and fed the ball to the far post, and after a mistake by Pickford, Hincapie gathered and slotted the ball into the goal for Joe Keles to score.
“When you watch him play, you don’t think he’s 16 years old. When he’s calm and confident with the ball, you don’t think so. He’s progressing. He was out injured for a while, so we didn’t see him for a few months, but now he’s back and playing with the same confidence as before. When he’s on the pitch, he often makes the right decisions. He’s an incredible player, very good.” Arsenal jersey number 14.
The goal was a credit to the Swede, but all eyes were on Max Dorman. Everton tried their best to find an equalizer and sealed the match with a stunning goal. He collected the second ball in his own half and, leaving two Toffees players on the floor, ran into the box and scored at will. Emirates Airlines erupted as they celebrated the ‘Wonder Kid’s’ first goal.
After a few months in the first team, Premier League regulations postponed his debut for Arsenal until the beginning of this season, where he became the youngest player to debut in the Champions League, surpassing Youssoufa Moukoko’s record in 2020.
Until further notice, the fact that no one can take away from him is the fact that he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. He overtook James Vaughan, who had held the record since April 2005 when he took part in Everton’s defeat of Bolton at the age of 16 years, 8 months and 27 days.
Now do your thing and win the game for us. The season is the moment when something special must happen
Asked after the game what he had said to Dauman before he took to the pitch, Mikel Arteta said: “Now do what you have to do and win the game for us. It’s a moment in the season when something special has to happen. He knows he’s capable and when he has to give a chance he’ll take it.”
He is only 16 but already has England at his feet. “There’s an arrogance in this kid that you don’t see in a lot of footballers,” Jamie Redknapp said. “Every time I watch him play, he plays breathtakingly,” Joe Cole said. “He lives up to everyone’s expectations,” Joleon Lescott said. John Terry said: “He is an extraordinary talent and will play a hugely important role in the future of Arsenal and the national team.”
“What is completely different from nurturing talent is developing players with this kind of personality and charisma, and then developing them to play the game in a way that suits them in the same way we have always done,” Arteta said. It sounds like a cliché, but the easy thing is not to get there, but to stay there. Just ask Lewis Skelly or Nwaneri. But while he continues to slowly cook, Max Dauman will always remember this afternoon and evening as graduating to Arsenal, one step closer to winning the Premier League.
