Arsenal’s 16-year-old phenomenon Max Dowman became the youngest ever goalscorer in the Premier League with an extraordinary injury-time goal during his team’s 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday. Dowman received the ball midway in his own half, skilfully manoeuvred around two Everton players and sprinted clear from the halfway line to tap into an unguarded net, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford stranded upfield having gone up for a corner.

An English football prodigy, Dowman – at 16 years, 73 days – was participating in just his third Premier League match after two previous substitute appearances at the start of the season. He surpassed the record of former Everton player James Vaughan, who was 16 years, 270 days when he scored against Crystal Palace in 2005.

In November, Dowman became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years, 308 days when he came on as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague.

Dowman is still attending school. He was 14 when he was invited by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to train with the senior team in December last year and he shone on the club’s preseason tour of Asia in matches against AC Milan and Newcastle.

To comply with Premier League rules for players under 18, Dowman must change into his Arsenal kit in a separate changing room from his senior team-mates for training sessions and matches.

The win over Everton sent Arsenal 10 points clear at the top of the table and team-mate Viktor Gyokeres, who also scored, said: “It’s incredible. You can see how he plays, he plays so calm and without feat every time he gets the ball.

“He takes the right decisions most of the time as well. You can see with the goal, he definitely took the right one. An amazing player and a great goal for him.

“We’re behind him as we’re behind everyone one of us. That’s why we play good.”