What Mikel Arteta told Max Dowman to do before scoring Arsenal winner is simply brilliant

Mikel Arteta had the perfect words for Max Dowman before he came on to help Arsenal score twice and beat Everton before Manchester City also dropped more points

As weekends go, that was about as good as Arsenal and Mikel Arteta could have asked for. It could have been incredibly different, were it not for the magical events which took place in the final ten minutes, including added time, at the Emirates Stadium.

Max Dowman became the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer, of course, also Arsenal’s, at 16 years and 73 days. What is perhaps the most surprising element of this is that few people are even surprised at this reality.

For most, it felt like an inevitability that the talented starlet would indeed break the record. Mikel Arteta spoke highly of the player, but the theme which punched through the hysteria most, perhaps quite poetically, was how the noise, the pressure, and the occasion just seem to wash over him like it is nothing.

“Yesterday he was training in the last few days, and I had a gut feeling that it was a moment for him,” he said. “Probably because he doesn't seem to be fazed by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent.

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“He just plays so naturally. He makes decisions to make things happen, and what he delivered was incredible.”

You might think that a younger player would require intense instruction and coaching before entering the field, not for Dowman. Arteta needed just ten words.

“Go and do your thing and win us the game,” Arteta said when asked during the press conference. That tells you just how special the player is considered.

It is only this season which the now-16-year-old can even play at this level, with Arteta going on record last season, making apparent complaints that regulations prevented him from making a senior debut even earlier. There is no doubt that Dowman would be in his second season with the senior team were it not for the current rules that prevent it.

The thing about this game that struck me most before its brilliant conclusion, however, was the atmosphere inside the stadium. Granted, there were moments of frustration and anxiety.

But with the score level, the team needed encouragement, and they were there. Eleven of Arsenal’s last 17 games have been played away from home.

They now have more home games left in this league season than away games. The north London cauldron of noise is sure to be a real factor in achieving the team's ultimate goal.

Gabriel Magalhaes was seen, perhaps unsurprisingly, whipping up more noise as the Gunners began peppering Jordan Pickford’s goal in the second half. But the decibel level must’ve broke records when Viktor Gyokeres’ tap-in hit the back of the net; it was an honour to be in there.

After the game, from a press perspective, you only have so much time available in the media lounge and so I and a colleague sought refuge with access to the Manchester City clash at West Ham in a local establishment.

The looks of nerves, the heads in hands and the sheer elation and relief at full-time were an experience almost as enjoyable as being in the Emirates only an hour or so earlier. What a monumental couple of results in the title race.

The Gunners winning against two very tough opponents in Brighton, away, and Everton. While City have dropped four points from an available six. The big picture is that the gap extends to nine with a clash with Crystal Palace the game in hand that the Cityzens have left to play.

But potentially bigger than that is the diminishing number of games there are left to play. Arsenal have matches games to navigate, including a trip to the Etihad Stadium, between them and a first league title in 22 years. In addition, the three other competitions they remain in loom large.

A second leg last-16 UEFA Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen precedes the Carabao Cup final against their title rivals. That game feels big, and if Arsenal can claim silverware and land a significant psychological blow to Guardiola’s side, it could be another moment in time for the side aiming to become champions across the board.