Max Dowman turns doubters into believers as Arsenal get their moment of champions vs. Everton

This late win, combined with Man City's ugly draw at West Ham, means the Gunners are nine points clear with seven games to go

LONDON -- If I tell you that the internet died at the Emirates Stadium moments before Max Dowman put that cross in, does that make it feel even more like what followed was it? Arsenal demanded your absolute attention. This was their moment. You know the sort. Every title winner gets one -- when hope leapfrogs faith and reaches certainty. 

Marc Overmars at Old Trafford, Thierry Henry dancing through the Liverpool backline, that sort of thing. More apposite for this season might, however, be Federico Macheda, the teen who turned the tide against Aston Villa in 2009. You suspect that Dowman, the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, is destined for more than just pub quiz curio.

Arsenal have already seen flashes of a 16-year-old with talent and temperament beyond his years. A burst, a flash, a slaloming dribble that didn't quite result in the end product this time, but you knew would before too long. Add a sense of timing to those preternatural qualities of his.

"I had a gut feeling that it was a moment for him," said Arteta. "Probably because he doesn't seem to be faced by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent. He just plays so naturally. He makes decisions to make things happen and what he delivered was incredible.

"His character, his personality and the fact that he doesn't seem to be fazed by the pressure or his teammates or the opponent. I've seen a lot of players with talent but at 16, very few that can cope with that level of demand."