Mikel Arteta looking for next 'impossible' moment from Arsenal star Max Dowman ahead of Bayer Leverkusen clash in UEFA Champions League

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Max Dowman wrote himself into Premier League history when he scored a scorching breakaway goal to seal Arsenal's win over Everton on Saturday. The youngest scorer in the competition's history could be in line to play a part in The Gunners' second leg against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League last 16, with Mikel Arteta admitting the teenager may be ready to play "regularly".

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Mikel Arteta called on Max Dowman to forget his "almost impossible" goal against Everton with Arsenal heading into a pivotal encounter against Bayer Leverkusen.

The Gunners are level with their Bundesliga opponents after the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie ended 1-1 in Germany.

In between their two do-or-die clashes against Leverkusen - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - Arteta's side took a sizeable step towards securing their first Premier League title in 22 years, beating Everton 2-0 at the Emirates as Dowman became the league's youngest scorer.

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But the 16-year-old's manager urged him to consider his sensational breakaway clincher "not relevant any more" as Arsenal hope to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.

"To do what he did in such a moment, very rare to see, impossible almost," Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. "He's done it, and now it's football and what you did a few days ago is not relevant any more. It's about the next one."

Regarding whether Dowman could play a part against Leverkusen on Tuesday, Arteta said there was "a possibility" due to his grounded reaction since Saturday.

"Depending on the game and how he reacts, I think his reaction has been really positive, and in relation to what we need in the game, there's always a possibility [he plays]," said Arteta.

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The Spaniard also suggested Dowman was ready to start regularly for Arsenal "depending on what you call regularly".

And Arteta was not worried that the teenager would become overawed by the attention his goal provoked, given the level heads which surround him in the dressing room and at home.

Asked whether he would put in place a mentor for Dowman, Arteta said: "I think we have the leadership group obviously [that can keep everything calm around Max], and certain individuals that are very close with him.

"The most important one is his family as well, and he's in a very good place there as well, and him, because he's used to a lot of things, he takes it very normally, and he knows that this sport is about today."

As for Arsenal's showdown in north London against Leverkusen, Arteta is expecting another tightly fought match, hoping to harness the "energy" of the home crowd to tip the tie in their favour.

"I watched them play against Bayern Munich at the weekend, very similar. So again, [they are] really well coached, a team with a very clear structure, very good individuals," said Arteta.

"Obviously, we are in a stage in the competition that we are in right now, so we know what we have to do and in front of our crowd, with our people, putting all the energy in the world again, hopefully we're going to do it."

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