The record stood for just over four years.
Arsenal go into 2023 seven points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after a 4-2 win over Brighton. The Gunners were 3-0 up, early in the second half, but had a nervy finish after a well-taken Evan Ferguson goal.
The 18-year-old chased down a raked ball from inside the Brighton half and shrugged off his marker before slotting past Aaron Ramsdale. That made it 4-2 and Brighton thought they had set up a grandstand finish, only for a Kaoru Mitoma goal to be ruled out for a marginal offside.
Goals from Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødergaard and Eddie Nketiah had Arsenal 3-0 ahead, before a Mitoma cracker gave Brighton a lifeline.
When Gabriel Martinelli made it 4-1, it looked all over but the hosts kept plugging away and were rewarded with that Ferguson finish. Awarded his first senior Ireland cap by Stephen Kenny, earlier this year, Ferguson pressured William Saliba into making a mistake and then pouncing to finish through the legs of Ramsdale. The commentator declared:
“He’s an Irish boy out of a well-known Irish team, in Dublin – Bohemians.”
The first of many @PremierLeague goals for @Evan_Ferguson9… 🤞🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/QeYzzEaMmp
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 1, 2023
Evan Ferguson breaks Premier League record
Arsenal survived that late rally to win all three points and stretch their lead over Manchester City and Newcastle, who both dropped points after respective draws against Everton and Leeds.
Brighton finish the year in 8th place but there are reasons for their supporters to be hopeful, especially with their goalscorers today – Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson.
In scoring against Arsenal, Ferguson becomes the youngest Irish goalscorer in the Premier League. At 18 years and 72 days, he has taken 97 days off the record set by Michael Obafemi (for Southampton) in 2018.
Obafemi was 18 years and a shade over five months when he scored for the Saints against Huddersfield. This is Ferguson’s second senior goal for Brighton, after his League Cup strike against Forest Green, earlier this season.
James Vaughan, then of Everton, still holds the league record for youngest ever scorer. He was 16 years and 270 days old when he bagged one for the Toffees against Crystal Palace, in 2005.
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