Sunday’s briefing: Max Dowman makes history and Paul Tierney takes centre stage

Teenager Max Dowman became the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer as Arsenal stretched their lead at the top of the table to nine points.

Dowman scored in a 2-0 victory over Everton while Manchester City, who have a game in hand, could only draw at West Ham.

Elsewhere, referee Paul Tierney found himself the centre of attention as Newcastle won at Chelsea, and Tottenham boss Igor Tudor has moved to clarify his treatment of keeper Antonin Kinsky.

Taking it to the Max

Mikel Arteta revealed it was a “gut feeling” which led him to hand Max Dowman the chance to establish himself as the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer in their stunning last-gasp 2-0 victory over Everton.

Substitute Dowman’s delivery was critical to Viktor Gyokeres’ 89th-minute breakthrough before then at 16 years and 73 days, signed his name in the history books when he added a second in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Gunners boss Arteta said: “(It wasn’t something) in my head, it was a gut feeling. Yesterday he was training, and the last few days I had a gut feeling that it was a moment for him.

“Probably it’s because he doesn’t seem to be fazed 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.”

Positive Pep

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refused to throw in the towel in the title race but admitted “it’s complicated” after falling further off the pace.

City’s hopes of regaining their Premier League crown were left in tatters following a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened West Ham after Konstantinos Mavropanos cancelled out Bernardo Silva’s opener.

Guardiola said: “It’s complicated. We win against Nottingham, it depends on us. Now it depends on them.

“But we have one game in hand, we have Arsenal at home – I’m not saying it will be easy to beat them –  but at home, I’m always positive.”

Stuck in the middle with you

Liam Rosenior said referee Paul Tierney should have focused on his job rather than on crashing Chelsea’s pre-match huddle after Newcastle won at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 14 years.

Anthony Gordon scored the only goal in the 18th minute as the Blues made a hopeless mess of pressing the visitors, but the focus afterwards was on the bizarre moment before kick-off when Tierney stood in the centre of the Chelsea players as captain Reece James spoke to the team.

Blues boss Rosenior, who signalled his intention to contact referees’ body PGMOL over the incident, said: “I’m respectful to the game. My players made a decision that they wanted to be around the ball, to respect the ball and show unity and leadership.

“That is not my decision. That is a decision between the leadership group and the team. There is nothing that they’re doing with that huddle that is disrespectful to the opposition.”

Tudor defiant

Igor Tudor has defended his man-management skills and revealed he hugged Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during half-time in Tuesday’s 5-2 thrashing at Atletico Madrid.

Spurs conceded four times before the midway point of the first half of their Champions League last-16 first leg in Madrid, during which Tudor substituted the 22-year-old Czech after just 17 minutes following two poor errors and was condemned for not acknowledging the player as he left the pitch.

However, the Croatian said: “Why didn’t I go to give him a hug? Because maybe he was angry. Maybe coaches do the things to avoid this scene and to get a situation worse than it was.

“Sometimes it is better to stay there and we hug each other at half-time. At half-time we speak and nothing (more), the situation happened there. It finished there.”

What’s on today?

Manchester United and Aston Villa go head-to-head at Old Trafford in the battle for Champions League qualification, while Liverpool host crisis club Spurs as they look to close the gap on the top four.

At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest entertain Fulham desperate for a victory to ease them away from the scramble for survival, while Leeds head for Crystal Palace with similar thoughts.