Arsenal Makes Premier League History
Arsenal became the first Premier League team to reach 100 goals across all competitions this season, while 16-year-olds Max Dowman and Marli Salmon became the first duo aged 16 or under to start a competitive match for any PL side. Meanwhile, Championship side Southampton stunned Premier League Fulham to advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Arsenal's century of goals was sealed in their 2-1 FA Cup fifth-round victory over Mansfield Town. Noni Madueke scored the landmark 100th goal, with Eberechi Eze later securing the win that sent the Gunners into the quarter-finals. This offensive output places Arsenal as only the third team among Europe's top five leagues to hit the 100-goal mark this season, trailing only Bayern Munich (128) and Barcelona (110). The team is averaging 2.17 goals per game, their best scoring rate since the 1952/53 season, with 19 different players finding the net. The historic youth debuts came as manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes to his lineup for the cup tie. At 16 years and 66 days, Max Dowman became Arsenal's youngest-ever starter in the FA Cup. Both he and Marli Salmon were substituted on the hour mark. Meanwhile, Southampton's stunning 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage came courtesy of a Ross Stewart penalty in the 91st minute. The decisive moment arrived when Fulham's Joachim Andersen was penalized for tripping Saints' midfielder Finn Azaz inside the box. The FA Cup upset came as Fulham manager Marco Silva opted to make nine changes to his starting lineup, resting key players like Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez. For Southampton, the victory extends an impressive unbeaten run under manager Tonda Eckert, who has guided the club up the Championship table since taking over in November.
