LONDON: Max Dowman, 16, propelled Arsenal closer to the title by becoming the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer in a dramatic 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday as Manchester City stumbled in a 1-1 draw at West Ham United.

Mikel Arteta’s men are edging towards a first league title in 22 years as their advantage over City, who have a game in hand, now stands at nine points.

Arsenal struggled to break down obdurate Everton until the teenage substitute turned the game in the final moments.

Viktor Gyokeres finally found a way through in the 89th minute, with a helping hand from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford who flapped at Dowman’s cross.

The ensuing scenes of delirium on the pitch and in the stands underlined the significance of a fourth successive league win.

There was still time for Dowman to run the length of the pitch and slot into an empty net with Pickford nowhere to be seen after coming up for an Everton corner in stoppage time.

Aged just 16 and 73 days, Dowman is now the youngest scorer in the history of the Premier League and in Arsenal’s history.

“He changed the game every time he got the ball. He made things happen and we looked like more of a threat,” added Arteta. “To do it at that age, in this context, with the pressure and expectations to win the game, it’s just not normal.”

Arsenal, trophyless since 2020, remain in the hunt for a quadruple.

The leaders rode their luck to beat a depleted Everton, adding to the mounting feeling that they will be one of the least stylistically impressive champions in recent memory if they do take the crown.

But Arteta and company won’t care about that ahead of a huge week.

The Gunners have a Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen next week, with the tie level at 1-1, before heading to Wembley to face City in the League Cup final.

City’s season is in danger of coming off the rails as West Ham clung on for a point that lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time in three months.

Pep Guardiola’s men were thrashed 3-0 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in midweek and have dropped four points to sides battling relegation in their last two Premier League outings.

Bernardo Silva’s attempted cross floated in at the far post to give City the lead at the London Stadium.

But the advantage lasted less than four minutes before Konstantinos Mavropanos headed in from a corner.

City dominated the second half but failed to find a way through as Erling Haaland’s barren spell in front of goal goes on.

Guardiola said before the game his side had no more room for error in the title race and their chance may have disappeared when Marc Guehi ballooned over a glorious opportunity to win the game in stoppage time.

Despite the demaging result Guardiola insisted that the Premier League title race is not over.

“It’s not over. Who said that? We didn’t lose. We will continue,” he said.“Nine points is a lot against Arsenal but it happened. We have the game at home so we have to try until the end. When it is not possible then we congratulate the champion but we have to try.”

A point for West Ham also has huge ramifications at the bottom of the table.

Nottingham Forest drop into the bottom three with Tottenham ahead of the Hammers now only on goal difference.

Meanwhile, fifth-placed Chelsea were beaten by Anthony Gordon’s goal at Stamford Bridge to round off a painful week.

Thrashed 5-2 at Paris St-Germain in the last-16 first leg, Liam Rosenior’s side were breached in the 18th minute Gordon converted from Joe Willock’s pass.

Chelsea will drop to sixth as long as Liverpool avoid defeat against struggling Tottenham on Sunday, with the top five set to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

A rare win at Stamford Bridge propels Newcastle up to ninth and within six points of the top five.

UNITED BOOST TOP-FOUR BID

On Sunday, Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha buried a second-half strike off a pinpoint through ball from Bruno Fernandes for a club-record 16th Premier League assist in a season to lift the hosts to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Casemiro and substitute Benjamin Sesko scored United’s other goals in a result that tightened United’s grip on third place in the standings on 54 points after 30 games, while fourth-placed Villa have 51 points.

The game looked headed for a draw before Cunha scored from the left side of the box in the 71st minute, with Fernandes recording his 100th assist for the club across all competitions. Sesko put the game out of reach 10 minutes later with a blistering shot from the centre of the box.

Casemiro put United ahead in the 53rd minute with a glancing header from a Fernandes corner. Ross Barkley levelled in the 64th with a shot from the middle of the area.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw against Fulham at the City Ground.

Still waiting for their first win under Vitor Pereira, fourth-bottom Forest, who have had four managers this term, are above third-bottom West Ham on goal difference.

Ten-man Leeds held on for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s missed penalty and a bizarre red card for Gabriel Gudmundsson.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2026