Arsenal 2-0 Everton: Super-sub Dowman shines as Gunners earn three points

Max Dowman played a starring role off the bench as Premier League leaders Arsenal earned a last-gasp 2-0 victory over Everton, a result which temporarily stretches their lead at the summit to 10 points and unbeaten in seven H2Hs against the Toffees.

Match Report

Pinpoint crosses and towering headers often come to mind when thinking of Arsenal’s corners, yet the game’s first opportunity came from Declan Rice playing the ball short to Noni Madueke for a strike that Jordan Pickford saved.

The Gunners continued to show early intent with shots already stacking up inside the opening quarter-hour, as Idrissa Gueye blocked an attempt from Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Zubimendi, while Calafiori, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze all fired off-target.

The hosts still faced scares at the other end, with only a brilliantly improvised Calafiori block denying Dwight McNeil from point-blank range, who then curled his shot from range onto the post.

In what had quickly become a highly competitive affair, Eze hit Zubimendi with an attempt from range before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s venomous shot from outside of the box was palmed away by David Raya.

There was still disappointment for Arsenal despite that save, with Jurrien Timber going off injured in the 38th minute and Iliman Ndiaye rushing out to deny Saka an opportunity before the break.

Everton continued to carry a threat after the restart with Beto being denied by Raya’s outstretched boot, while Saka and Calafiori saw an attempt apiece blocked by Michael Keane as they also stood firm defensively.

Pickford then saved another Saka shot as Arsenal continued to probe for an opener, with Mikel Arteta turning to Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli just after the hour mark. 

There was a feeling that it would take something special to break down the Toffees, and Eze came agonisingly close to providing it with a shot that curled marginally wide.

The hosts resorted to hitting shots from range with Eze doing the best job of testing Pickford before Dowman struck harmlessly high and wide.

Arsenal finally made the breakthrough in the 89th minute, when Pickford missed Dowman’s cross and the ball bounced off Piero Hincapie into Gyökeres’ path for the striker to finish. 

Having delivered the cross for the opener, Dowman then had a moment completely of his own as the 16-year-old raced up the pitch and became the youngest goalscorer in PL history with Pickford in no man’s land after going forward for a corner.

The victory secures the Gunners’ fourth consecutive PL win, taking them 10 points ahead of Manchester City ahead of their match against West Ham.

In doing so, they also inflicted the first defeat in Everton’s last three matches.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

5' Madueke takes a shot from the edge of the box but it is saved

9' Calafiori shoots from outside the box, but his effort is blocked

13' Saka's effort from a close range goes wide, but he is ruled offside

17' McNeil takes a shot inside the box, but the effort is blocked and spins away

18' POST! McNeil unleashes a thunderous effort but it crashes against the left post

24' Havertz is down inside the box but the ref takes no action

31' Dewsbury-Hall tries his luck from mid-range, but Raya makes an easy save

34' Beto is down inside the box under a challenge but there is no penalty

38' Timber is being substituted because of an injury, and Mosquera is on the pitch

50' McNeil fires the ball towards the goal from close-range, but his shot is blocked

61' Martinelli and Gyökeres replace Havertze and Madueke

64' Eze tries a curler from the edge of the box, but it slides just wide

73' Zubimendi and Calafiori are replaced by Dowman and Hincapie

77' A snap shot by Eze is catched by Jordan Pickford

83' Dowman finds space inside the box and shoots, but it flies high over the bar

89' GOAL! Gyökeres fires home as Hincapie assists! Arsenal 1-0 Everton

Line-ups

Arsenal XI: David Raya, Rice, Gabriel, Havertz, Eberechi Eze, Martín Zubimendi, Saliba, Saka, Madueke, Timber, Calafiori

Subs: Kepa, Jesus, Viktor Gyökeres, Ben White, Martinelli, Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman

Everton XI: Gueye, Pickford, Keane, Dewsbury-Hall, Vitaliy Mykolenko, McNeil, Garner, Beto, Iliman Ndiaye, Jake O'Brien, Tim Iroegbunam

Subs: Coleman, Travers, Nathan Patterson, Merlin Röhl, Tyler Dibling, Tyrique George, Thierno Barry, Aznou, Harrison Armstrong