Dowman's stunning intervention paves the way for the Arsenal win that began to look out of reach

Before the dusk has settled : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Arsenal (0) 2 Gyokeres 89, Dowman 90+7

Everton (0) 0

Was this the day the title was won? It's still way too soon to crown them, but it was certainly the day Max Dowman came of age.

At 16 years and 73 days, he became the Premier League's youngest goalscorer - his strike deep into injury time adding gloss to what had already been a star turn.

It was his cross which paved the way for another of the second half subs, Viktor Gyokeres, to plunder an opening goal that had looked like it would never come.

We were up to minute 89 and the Gunners were facing a shut out. David Moyes' well drilled side that defended superbly and created plenty of chances themselves to steal a win. It was looking as if frustration would be the final word at a stressed Emirates.

Sometimes it takes the insouciance of youth to unlock the door - taking on players and lifting a crowd that had started to show signs of fraying at the edges.

He will never forget the glorious moment he raced upfield, with Pickford stranded upfield, to roll the ball home to make it 2-0.

The team with the resolute low block, inspired goalkeeper and troublesome away record gave Arsenal plenty of work to do in their Champions League intermission.

The Gunners have the challenge of Leverkusen to negotiate in Tuesday's second leg last-16 tie but the Premier League title remains the prize they covet most and they could not afford to hold back.

The tempo was decent from the off - which has not always been the case this season - and Mikel Arteta's men showed off a short corner variant from their loaded box launch when Noni Madueke cut into the box to rifle a low shot that Jordan Pickford kept out.

Eberechi Eze threaded a lovely ball through for Kai Havertz, who was only denied a clear shot by Michael Keane's strong arm intervention.

The Toffees were keen to show their run of six undefeated away games was no fluke, however, and they twice came close to the opener through Dwight McNeil - David Raya having to save a close-range effort, after failing to grab a high cross, before breathing a huge sigh of relief when the same player's curler from outside the box came back off a post.

Raya also had to be on his toes to deal with a left-foot ping from inside the D by the ever-dangerous Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Warnings aplenty then. And another came at the start of the second half when only Raya's outstretched left peg denied Beto a goal as the big striker used his muscular frame to engineer a shot on the turn from a few yards out.

It was the signal for Arsenal to get serious and start turning up the heat. Eze was a whisker away from making maximum use of a Declan Rice backheel to loop a delicate shot over and beyond Pickford, but agonisingly wide.

Arteta rolled the dice. On came Gabi Martinelli Gyokeres and Dowman to try and find a breakthrough but it looked as if we were heading for a point apiece - until we weren't.

Gunners: (4-2-3-1) Raya - Timber (Mosquera 38), Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori (Hincapie 74) - Zubimendi (Dowman 75), Rice - Saka, Eze, Madueke (Martinelli 61) - Havertz (Gyokeres 61)

Toffees: (4-2-3-1) Pickford - Garner, O'Brien, Keane, Mykolenko - Iroegbunam (Rohl 86), Gueye (George 90+5) - McNeil (Armstrong 86, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye - Beto (Barry 69)

Attendance: 60,176