Seven minutes into second half injury time, Max Dowman had just buried the ball into an empty Everton net and turned to his left towards the stands.

As the Arsenal players and the bench jumped on the teenager, one thought whether Dowman, just 16 years and 73 days, would dislocate his shoulder. He could barely be seen amidst a sea of teammates.

Coach Mikel Arteta was ecstatic, and so was the packed Emirates Stadium. Dowman had walked into the history books of the Premier League by becoming the youngest goal-scorer.

Just a few minutes ago, Arsenal were staring at the spectre of losing two vital points in their quest for their first league title in over two decades, and here they were 2-0 up.

Dowman, who came onto the pitch at the 75th minute, replacing Martin Zubimendi, was the star. It was his cross from the right that was missed by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and struck the midriff of Arsenal substitute Piero Hincapie. The ball bounced across the goalmouth and Viktor Gyokeres prodded it home.

Saturday was Dowman’s third league appearance — all as a substitute — and seventh overall. He has already made a name for himself.

Luckily for him, he has an astute manager like Arteta to take care of him. Arteta is using him the right way, knowing that at his age, Dowman needs to be handled with care.

It’s not easy for a manager to recognise talent and protect them from the global spotlight. If Frank Rijkaard, during Lionel Messi’s early days in Barcelona, had not used the precocious young talent sparingly, anything could have happened.

He knew he had a talent that came once in a century. That’s why in the summer of 2005, when Fabio Capello, the then Juventus manager, asked the Dutchman to loan out Messi, Rijkaard simply said ‘no’.

There is a certain happiness you feel while watching someone like Dowman, or Barcelona and Spain youngster Lamine Yamal. Left-footed, going full throttle at the rival goal, and with no fear of losing. There is a carefree attitude, free of worries.

With age will come the responsibility of carrying the team on their shoulders. Every move will be scrutinised, every action will be dissected. One false step and they will be vilified.

Lamal, now 18, was just 15 when he made his Barcelona first-team debut. He is already facing that. Dowman, if he does not go down the ladder, will also experience the same.

“Let him enjoy it and go and express himself,” Wayne Rooney, who scored for Everton against Arsenal in 2002 at the age of 16 years and 360 days, said on BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show.

“He doesn’t seem to be fazed by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent; he just plays so naturally,” gushed Arteta.

Dowman, who is still in school, does not have a professional contract yet; he
will once he turns 17 on December 31.

Arsenal have already things in place for Dowman, the best product to come out of the club’s academy by a mile. They know he has the potential to deliver the goods for at least two decades.

Last November, Dowman became the youngest player in Champions League history. At 15 years, 308 days, he walked onto the pitch as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague.

Will Arteta give Dowman some game time against Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates during the Champions League round-of-16 second-leg clash?

“There is always a possibility that he will play,” Arteta said on Monday.