Arteta explains exchange with Dowman after Fleetwood dismissal

Mikel Arteta has explained that his brief conversation with Max Dowman, sent off during Arsenal’s Carabao Cup exit, had been planned before the match. The youngster received a straight red card in the 85th minute and spoke with his manager as he headed towards the tunnel. The moment appeared to be a reprimand, but Arteta clarified its background.

“It was something we had discussed before the match,” he said. The manager also said he wanted to review the footage before assessing the dismissal: “It’s difficult to judge from the camera footage like that, so I prefer to watch it properly and then assess the situation.” Asked whether Dowman would learn from the episode, he replied: “Yeah, we’ll learn from everything.”

Dowman was sent off for an act of aggression against an opponent. Arsenal then went to a penalty shootout and lost 5-4 to Fleetwood Town, a club in England’s fourth division, ending their run in the competition. Arteta congratulated Fleetwood on progressing, while describing the day as a very sad one for his team.

The exchange between manager and youngster drew comment. Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson noted that Dowman was 16 and said Arteta could have put an arm around him while the score was 1-1 and Arsenal were still in the game. He also said the player could be frustrated after a difficult night, and suggested Arteta might have reacted differently to an experienced international.

Arteta said his team had identified before the match the emotional aspects they needed to control. He had also previously said that Dowman would have to get used to defenders’ tough treatment. After the incident, the manager described the exchange as a conversation they had already had before kick-off, without adding further detail.