Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterArsenal were finally able to end their two-decade wait for the Premier League title last season, in a campaign which threw up more than its fair share of subplots.Among the new signings, the redemption arcs and moments of personal glory was the story of 16-year-old Max Dowman, who became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he netted against Everton, before becoming the competitions youngest-ever winner.Gunners icon Paul Merson has been particularly impressed by Dowman's emergence.Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 ListPaul Merson on Max Dowmans riseDowman was just 16 years old and 73 days when he scored a late breakaway goal to seal a crucial win over the Toffees in March, ahead of a summer which saw him claim a Premier League winners medal before collecting his GCSE results.And for Merson, the teenagers rise is barely believable. You may like 'Arsenal wonderkid can be England's answer to Lamine Yamal' Freddy Adu makes huge Gunners teen claim "Arsenal should sell world champions like Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino before even considering moving on Myles Lewis-Skelly hes that important" Henry Winter for FourFourTwo in Cardiff Arsenal pip Manchester United and Chelsea to land wonderkid: report Dowman, in football terms, is a freak, and I mean that in the utmost respect, Merson exclaims to FourFourTwo. If he was in a book, you'd throw the book in the sea.If you were sitting reading about a 16-year-old kid who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League and scores against Everton, youd just go Oh, thats never happening, who could be that good at 16?Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Dowman clocked up 13 appearances for the Gunners last season and has represented England up to under-19 level, becoming that sides youngest-ever scorer when he struck in a 7-0 win over Wales in October 2025.Naturally, Dowmans meteoric rise has left fans wondering just how far he will go, with Merson daring to believe he could match some of the games very best.He could be a generational great like Gazza or Rooney, who come along once in a blue moon, Merson continues.But its not just Dowman who has caught Mersons eye when it comes to the clubs Hale End academy pipeline.And Myles Lewis-Skelly, Merson continues. He got in the team at the start at left-back. To then play in midfield and play the way he did, Im pleased for him because that takes a lot.Im a big fan of his. I like him more in midfield, if Im being honest.TOPICSArsenalPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromMark WhiteContent EditorEd McCambridgeStaff Writer
