Arsenal

There are four games in the Champions League on Tuesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Sporting v Bodo Glimt (17:45)

• Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Chelsea v Paris St-Germain

• Manchester City v Real Madrid - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, EPA

It felt like a pivotal moment for the season but also a moment for the ages. Max Dowman, 16, came on at the Emirates on Saturday evening and transformed the game and the title race. This isn't the fuzzy romanticising of a youngster's lucky moment; this was the official announcement of what should be a generational talent.

Mikel Arteta sunk Everton with his substitutions, but the fact that he went to a kid when he was desperate tells you all you need to know about what Arsenal already know. If Dowman steers clear of serious injury and seriously bad advice, he has the football world at his feet.

He has super confidence, exceptional technique and already possesses the physical prowess needed at the elite level. His vision and game awareness is already better than most Premier League players of any age, and he has a grace and balance to boot.

The list of talents goes on, but it is the fact that he doesn't look over-coached, that he looks natural and able to do things effortlessly under pressure, that is so refreshing. When most would overthink the situation, he has the talent, ability or just an inborn natural gift to cope using his own ideas.

‌Just when Arsenal were being questioned about the prescriptive style of their set-piece dependency, they brought on a player who creates and scores goals that are not the result of mind-numbing micro-coaching. Last week, I pondered whether Arsenal will be loved for winning the title. Well, they just retrieved some of that love, because who doesn't love a fairy-tale ending?

I hope no-one attempts to coach the initiative out of Dowman by getting him to do the "right" thing more often. It is that ability to think in a way unlike others that gives him the chance to be extra special.

Image source, Getty Images

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Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

At the final whistle of Arsenal's 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, every person around me looked exhausted. We weren't the ones who had been running up and down the pitch for 96 minutes, but it sure felt like it.

Some of this emotion came from relief, from the excitement of two late goals, and the significance of Max Dowman's first in the Premier League. However, a lot of it came from producing an atmosphere that the Emirates has been crying out for for weeks.

As Arsenal struggled to break down a resolute Everton side, who have an excellent record away from home, the stadium could have resigned itself to a draw. There is sometimes a lull that comes over the Emirates when the Gunners are playing a team they should be beating, but are struggling to create much to cheer about.

This didn't happen on Saturday.

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment, but the stadium simply came alive in about the 65th minute. It's often sparked by a big tackle, or winning the ball back high up the pitch. This time, though, it felt like a collective recognition that our team needed something extra.

For weeks, the Arsenal crowd has been called nervous, with suggestions it is even making the players nervous too. If this is the case, then the crowd on Saturday was electric and, therefore, the players became electric too.

The difference this week was also that the noise, which can often tip over into desperation and frustration, was positive. It was celebratory and willing the players on, not chastising them for the position they found themselves in.

The scenes in the stands for both goals were representative not just of elation that the team had gone ahead, but that we had also played a part.

With the title agonisingly close, it could not be a more important time to find and keep our 12th man.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

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Will Arsenal's style and approach matter if they get over the line and win the Premier League?

Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry do not believe so, but both also think not everyone's perception of the approach will be positive if Mikel Arteta's side lift the trophy come May.

"When you have a team who dominate an era, most people want the team that's battling with them to win," Carragher told Monday Night Football on Sky Sports.

"It doesn't feel like there is that feeling with Arsenal and Manchester City. I think a lot of fans rather City win it, even some Manchester United and Liverpool fans.

"There is something about Arsenal and how they've gone about it, whether you like it or not, whether it's the style of football, Arteta on the side of the pitch, the fanbase on social media, that rubs people up the wrong way.

"Some of the criticism is absolute nonsense. There's no right or wrong way to play football. It's about being the best at what you do.

"Right now, whether you like it or not as an Arsenal supporter, they are going to be remembered as a set-piece team. If they win the league, in 10 years time people will say it was only set-pieces or whatever, but how could he [Arteta] take on Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola - two of the best teams in European football at that time - with less wages and less spend at the time?

"He had to find another way and he's done it."

Henry added: "We asked Mikel Arteta to find a way.

"He did. I've wanted to win a league for 22 years. We might talk about the style next year. Everybody was vocal about Arsenal not finding a way to win. We still haven't again but he is finding a way.

"I'm not saying we're going to do it, but if we do it, however we do it I will respect that. It's not about what anyone likes. I don't have to like it, but I'll surely respect it."

Watch The Oberserver's Rory Smith and former Premier League striker Chris Sutton disagree on Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta's use of youngster Max Dowman.

"They confronted the hype around him in the summer," Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"Arteta has taken it quite slow since them. It's been quite smart. His name has been around for a few years.

"He's been training with the first team for around nine months. He's had a chance to develop physically. It means when he does start to get Premier League minutes you have a player who is much more ready for it than if they had thrown him in straight away or waited much longer."

"I don't necessarily agree with that," added Sutton.

"I suspect it was just a case of it felt like the right time. I don't think they waited for this particular moment and this was part of the plan. Arteta was just thinking of the best way to win games in that moment."

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Arsenal's Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, 24, faces an uncertain future at the club along with English left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, and 18-year-old English winger Ethan Nwaneri. (Times - subscription required), external

Arsenal have little intention of allowing 23-year-old Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori to leave this summer despite growing interest from Serie A clubs including Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli. (Teamtalk), external

Paris St-Germain have no plans whatsoever to sell 25-year-old Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Arsenal. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

With all the pressure on Manchester City after Arsenal's win just half an hour or so earlier, they succumbed to the stress and dropped two points at West Ham.

But was it the stress or was it simply nothing more than bad luck? Pep Guardiola watched from the stands as his team had 21 shots to the Hammers' solitary effort on goal and even that one was only a millimetre over the line. City had 70% of possession and, on any normal day, that would lead to an easy three points.

Across London, Arsenal would probably have struggled to break down Everton had the Toffees not gone for the three points in the last five minutes. David Moyes set out his team brilliantly, they defended well and even created the better chances on the break.

Had Everton sat back grimly hanging on for the single point, would Arsenal have broken through? Maybe, but very possibly not.

Everton are safe from relegation and had very little to lose, so clearly thought "we might as well have a go". In their first high press committing numbers forward, Arsenal broke and took advantage.

Yes, Mikel Arteta got it right and his substitutions worked a treat. Piero Hincapie got the assist for the first after Max Dowman's superb cross and the other sub, Viktor Gyokeres, tapped it in, before Dowman killed it off minutes later with the second goal.

It was great work from the bench but don't forget that Arsenal did get a little luck and City got none. Then again, you know the old saying – you make your own luck and Arsenal certainly did.

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Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Riccardo Calafiori believes team-mate Max Dowman's goal against Everton was "the best moment of the season".

The 16-year-old became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history with his stoppage-time goal against the Toffees that sealed a vital win in Arsenal's title challenge.

"That's why I was so, so happy after the game, especially after the goal," Calafiori said. "We were all happy. We ran towards him, towards the fans.

"It was the best moment of the season so far. At least in the Premier League, for sure."

Dowman's late goal came after Viktor Gyokeres had given the Gunners the lead in the 89th minute, as Mikel Arteta's side moved nine points clear at the top of the table over the weekend.

Before the late drama, Calafiori had produced an acrobatic 'scorpion kick' block to keep the scores level.

"It is the best [block of my career]. I think it was so important for the result and for the team. I'm really happy for the team." the 23-year-old defender said.

"I didn't think about it too much. I just looked at the guy who was shooting and I thought I had to cover as much space as possible. I just reacted.

"We love to defend our house and our goal. We try to do everything."

Arsenal are in action their second-leg tie against Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Calafiori was asked if his block on Saturday made him feel like things are all falling into place for the Gunners. He responded: "I believe that these small big things normally happen when something big is going to happen."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arteta confirmed both Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard are out for Tuesday's match. However, Leandro Trossard "felt good" in training and is available.

• With Timber, the Arsenal boss thinks it will be "a matter of days" but is unsure if he will be ready for the Carabao Cup final at the weekend, while they are "really pushing" captain Odegaard and he "wants to try to be available" for Wembley but they will have to see how he feels in training this week.

• On how proud he is of Max Dowman's goal and impact against Everton: "Very. To do what he did in such a moment is very rare to see. Impossible almost. But he's done it and what happened a few days ago is not relevant any more - it is about the next one."

• He added on the 16-year-old record breaker: "The most important one [support for him] is his family. He's in a very good place there as well. He is used to a lot of things, he takes it normally and knows what the sport is about."

• After his passionate showing on the touchline on Saturday, Areta said he "loves these moments" and added: "When the team needs help - in any way we can contribute, give them energy - we have to be there. We noticed immediately that the atmosphere changed and the players changed, and we managed to win the game."

• He felt the three points against Everton were a "significant moment" and "nice moment to live together", but "full focus" is on the Champions League game now.

• On whether the emotions are more intense now: "The will to win increases year by year when you have been so close. But stay focused and enjoy the moment - we have to feel privileged to be where we are and then try to make it happen."

• On what they are expecting from Bayer Leverkusen: "Watching them play against Bayern Munich at the weekend, very similar. Really well coached, clear structure. We know what we have to do in front of our crowd. Hopefully we are going to do it."

Listen to full commentary of Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday from 20:00 GMT on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Monday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal v Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Mark: What a joy to watch a young man with such talent win such an important game with such composure. You can tell how loved this wonderkid is by the club at large by the reaction of his teammates and the coaches.

Andrew: Mixed feelings about Arsenal's performance, glad they won and delighted about the impact of our subs, but some of our experienced players are not performing. We looked very average for large parts of the game. Also, what on earth was VAR doing, definitely a penalty and VAR should have been looking at a possible red card?

Ned: That Max Dowman performance has been coming. What an unbelievable achievement at 16. But I hope he looks at that top 10 list of youngest scorers and sees that only four of them became top class players. Stay grounded, chief!

Imran: Our first decent league performance against a top half side since Christmas. Yes, Everton had chances and we needed Dowman, but that was a lot better. Even Eze joined in!

Everton fans

Jeff: This loss is totally down to Moyes, bringing on two substitutions in the 86th minute in a cowardly effort to waste time. It broke the momentum and it backfired on us. It reminds me of his first spell at Everton.

Jack: Deserved a point at least. We looked the more likely to score, especially in the first half. Although Jordan made a mistake for their first goal, Raya was the busier of the two and did well to keep out Beto. Must make a special mention for Idrissa Gueye, his tireless work is often overlooked. Let's hope for a better result against Chelsea.

Keith: Once again Moyes leaves his substitutions too late and replaces the wrong players. It's been a pattern throughout the season. Everton should have secured a well earned point away from home.

Martin: A decent performance, undone by a rare Pickford error! However, he's saved us so many times. We just lack that killer instinct going forward, when promising attacks come to nothing or we miss chances. It'll be tough with our remaining fixtures but if we can get European Conference League football next year, what a turn around! And what a great job Moyes is doing.

Ex-England striker Wayne Rooney has praised Max Dowman's impact after the Arsenal winger became the Premier League's youngest goalscorer - but wonders if the 16-year-old might have to focus on his GCSEs for the rest of the season.

The teenager scored in a 2-0 win over Everton that helped the Gunners move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Rooney was once the Premier League's youngest scorer when he netted for Everton against Arsenal in 2002.

"He has got his GCSEs and his education, I'm sure for him and his family, is important as well," he said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

"What an opportunity for him to be around the squad. He could be a Premier League winner when he's still finishing school off.

"He's got an aura and a belief about him and it was the same against Everton. If it's education first, I don't think we'll see much of him over the next few weeks."

Rooney added: "He won't be in as much as he'd probably like, but then you've got many years ahead of you."

"He seems, from the games I've watched, to not let that pressure affect him because he gets the ball, he holds on to it, he commits defenders, he goes to take them on, and so he definitely looks like he's got a confidence about him.

"Mikel Arteta, some of the senior players in the Arsenal squad, will not let him get ahead of himself. But I think you have to enjoy it as well."

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Scouts from Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona have been closely monitoring 21-year-old England and Newcastle defender Lewis Hall. (Caughtoffside), external

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Alex Howell
Football reporter

Saturday's match with Everton looked like it was going to be a frustrating day at the office for the Gunners, who appeared to be set to miss their chance to extend their lead over Manchester City at the top of the league.

Their attack was not quite clicking and in the first half Arsenal were denied a penalty when Kai Havertz tangled with Michael Keane in the penalty area.

But with the scores level, Mikel Arteta turned to 16-year-old Max Dowman, alongside £64m summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, and the youngster turned the game in his side's favour.

Dowman took the ball in dangerous areas and did not look fazed with the situation of the game as he tried to take on defenders at will.

He played a huge part in the opening goal as it was his cross that Jordan Pickford misjudged before Gyokeres tapped the ball in.

Then Dowman himself stole the show when he beat two defenders while Pickford was up for an Everton corner as they chased an equaliser - and the teenager rolled the ball into the net to spark wild celebrations.

"It was a great moment," Arteta told Sky Sports. "Especially the way the goal built up and we had 10-15 seconds to really enjoy what was about to happen.

"It was magical. On the bench and all the players together, jumping with the crowd. It was a beautiful day.

"It is not only the goal that he scored, [Dowman] changed the game. Every time he got the ball, he makes things happen and we are more of a threat.

"To do that at that age, in this context, with the pressure, the expectations to win the game - it's just not normal."

Arteta - who has spoken of Dowman's talents all season - was not surprised about the youngster's showing during the vital win in the title race and said the way the 16-year-old had trained this week gave him a "gut feeling".

"It's so organic for him, he doesn't feel the pressure. He goes, gets the ball, stops on the ball," Arteta said.

"It's natural for him, that's the best thing, so just make sure he does what he feels.

"When you have such a talent then I'm sure good things are going to happen. What we do is to create memories and create moments.

"For many years, I think people who were in the stadium today will say 'I was in the Emirates that day when that kid at 16 scored a goal at such an important stage of the season'."

Read more on how history-maker Dowman stole the show for Arsenal here

Pundits Joe Hart and Ashley Williams join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Sunderland 0-1 Brighton

• Burnley 0-0 Bournemouth

• Chelsea 0-1 Newcastle

• Arsenal 2-0 Everton

Alex Howell
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

When Viktor Gyokeres tapped in what looked set to be a late winner, the Arsenal striker appeared to have secured his place in the headlines.

But that was before 16-year-old Max Dowman made history and put the icing on the cake of a crucial - and nervy - Arsenal win.

Dowman has been highly regarded for some time and has been training with the Gunners' first team since he was 14.

He was one of the standout players in Arsenal's pre-season tour and is the youngest player to start for the club - against Brighton in the Carabao Cup - while he also became the youngest player to feature for the Gunners in the FA Cup when he put in an excellent performance against Mansfield.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hinted at comparisons between Dowman's talent and Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in history.

And the fact Arteta turned to Dowman with this game goalless as he looked to try to break down the Toffees shows how highly he rates the youngster.

The teenage winger also played a key part in Gyokeres' goal - it was his cross which Pickford failed to claim, before the ball struck Piero Hincapie and rolled across to the Sweden striker who could not miss.

Dowman then put the game to bed in the seventh minute of added time, having jinked past two Everton defenders on the halfway line and slotted into the empty net.

His impact after coming on in the 74th minute surely means Arteta will not hesitate to use him again in the Gunners' upcoming matches.