Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman became the youngest scorer in Premier League history as his late goal helped Arsenal edge past Everton and move 10 points clear at the top.

It looked as though Everton were going to frustrate the Gunners and battle to a well-earned draw before Arsenal substitute Viktor Gyokeres tapped home in the 89th minute after Jordan Pickford completely misjudged Dowman's cross.

The visitors then threw everyone forward as they hunted an equaliser with a stoppage-time corner.

However, with Pickford stranded upfield, Dowman beat two defenders before racing away to roll the ball into the empty net and spark wild scenes inside Emirates Stadium.

With his goal Dowman (16 years and 73 days) broke the record for the Premier League's youngest scorer set by Everton's James Vaughan (16y 270d) in 2005.

The Toffees played well and twice went close to opening the scoring in the first half, with Dwight McNeil denied by an acrobatic block by Riccardo Calafiori before the winger hit the post with a curling effort from the edge of the area.

The Gunners thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the first half when Michael Keane and Kai Havertz tangled in the area, but in the end it did not matter as Arsenal found a way to win late on.

Arsenal are 10 points clear of second-placed Manchester City having played two games more. Pep Guardiola's side face West Ham at London Stadium later (20:00 GMT kick-off).

When 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 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 that of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in history.

And the fact Arteta turned to Dowman with this game goalless shows just 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 defenders on the halfway line and run the ball into an empty net.

The teenager changed this game after coming on in the 74th minute, and Arteta will surely not hesitate to use Dowman again as the Gunners approach the business end of the season.

The manner of this defeat will be difficult for Everton and manager David Moyes to take after they came so close to getting a deserved point.

Everton have one of the best away records in the league and before this game had lost only one of their previous 10 matches on the road.

Moyes has his side well-drilled - and against Arsenal they defended deep while still offering a threat on the counter-attack.

In Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye they have players who give them an outlet and can create something out of nothing.

Everton defended the threat of Arsenal's set-pieces well and slowed the game down when it looked like the hosts were gaining momentum.

However, they will be left to rue Pickford's failure to deal with Dowman's delivery - and ultimately leave north London with nothing despite having more than matched the hosts for 89 minutes.

Arsenal are back in action in the Champions League on Tuesday when they take on Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their last-16 tie (20:00 GMT).

Everton next play on Saturday when they host Chelsea in the Premier League (17:30).