Everything seems to be going in a familiar direction for Arsenal. Lack of ideas, lack of determination and the feeling that history is repeating itself.
3 years ago on this day, Arsenal dropped points against David Moyes' team. The 2-2 draw at West Ham United's home ground at that time became a turning point in the Premier League title race.
Last season, the "Gunners" were also held to a 0-0 draw in a similar match. And at Emirates this time, everything seemed to go according to a familiar scenario. But instead of history repeating itself, it was written, with the brilliance of Max Dowman.
In a short performance when he was only 16 years old, Dowman helped Arsenal win 2-0. And who knows, that moment may become a turning point to help the team win the championship.
Dowman will surely capture all newspaper headlines, video views and attention on social networks with his technical second goal. His handling made Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fly in an effort to save before the young Arsenal player easily put the ball into the empty net.
Not only the goal, but Dowman's bold high pass in the final minutes created chaos in Everton's defense, leading to the opening goal scored by Viktor Gyokeres.
It's not just the goal he scored. I think he changed the game. Every time he gets the ball, he creates dangerous plays. We look much more dangerous. Doing that at that age, in this situation, with such pressure, is really abnormal" - coach Mikel Arteta shared after the match.
Once again, Arsenal faced a tense atmosphere at the Emirates. Fans began to show impatience and continuously asked the team to speed up the attacking pace. Arteta reacted by fielding Dowman - a trump card that few expected.
I have a premonition that this is an opportunity for him. Perhaps because he seems not to be discouraged by circumstances, time or opponents. He plays football very naturally. He makes decisions to create opportunities and what he brings is amazing" - Arteta said.
Indeed, every time Dowman participates in a match, the tempo immediately changes. No Arsenal player dribbles more than this 16-year-old player during his time on the field, and everyone is heading towards Everton's goal.
Only Declan Rice created more chances than Dowman, while only Gabriel Magalhaes earned more fouls. Former legend Jamie Redknapp even commented that Dowman created more influence than Bukayo Saka on the right wing in this match.
The incredible thing is not only the way Dowman controlled the match, but also the fact that his teammates trusted such a young player. He had 28 touches in just a few minutes of play, even more than Kai Havertz in more than an hour on the field.
Each young talent has their own explosive moment. Wayne Rooney once scored a super product for Everton when he was only 16 years old. Marcus Rashford scored a double in his debut, and Theo Walcott once created a memorable solo at Anfield. For Dowman, that moment of brilliance came when he was younger than anyone among them.
However, Arteta still maintained caution: "Calm down. Enjoy this moment today. We will continue tomorrow". Clearly Dowman is one of the stars of the future and he has begun to make an impact right now.
