The Max Dowman red card came moments before Arsenal exited the Carabao Cup on penalties to Fleetwood Town, and the 16-year-old's walk down the tunnel became the story of the night. Mikel Arteta leaned towards the teenager and appeared to say something as he passed. The manager has since explained the exchange, while two Sky Sports pundits have questioned whether it was the right way to handle a player of that age.
Max Dowman red card and the brawl before it
Dowman was sent off for violent conduct after allegedly lashing out at Fleetwood defender Harrison Neal. The pair had challenged for a couple of 50-50s before a brawl broke out between the sides. The dismissal arrived shortly before Arsenal's exit from the competition against the League Two club, decided on penalties.
The context matters for how the incident is being read. A 16-year-old was making his way off a senior pitch in a losing cup tie, and the cameras stayed on him rather than on the shootout that followed. What Arteta did in that moment, and what he is now saying about it, has become the talking point.
Mikel Arteta explains his tunnel reaction
Asked directly what he said to Dowman, Arteta told reporters: "It was something that we discussed before the game." He refused to go into further detail when pressed on the exchange.
On Sky Sports co-commentary, Andy Hinchcliffe described the red card as harsh on Dowman. Arteta's response was measured: "I haven't seen it with the camera. You can't really see what happens. The decision was made by the referee and that's it."
He added that the sending-off did not end Arsenal's chances: "And even with 10 men, we have three big chances to score the second goal." Asked whether the incident is something Dowman must learn from, Arteta pointed to preparation rather than punishment. "We knew when we prepared the context of the match, we were very clear on the things to expect, the things that emotionally we have to dominate," he said.
Paul Merson and Jobi McAnuff question the response
Paul Merson was blunt in his assessment. "If that's [Viktor] Gyokeres, who's an experienced international, he [Arteta] isn't doing that - but he does that to a 16-year-old kid?" he said. "He's not the last person to get sent off for Arsenal, nor the first. If it was me, I'd have put my arm around him. It's still 1-1, they're still in the game."
Merson also allowed for regret: "We all say things in life we wish we hadn't and if he [Arteta] could have that back, he'd do it differently."
Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff took a similar view. "I can't understand the reaction. Arteta probably feels it was petulant, naive which I think it is," he said. "It is frustration from Dowman, but when you see the reaction from Arteta... we have to remember he's 16. Yes, he's a fantastic talent, but he will make mistakes along the way. I didn't like the reaction at all."
McAnuff framed the stakes in terms of the player's future at the club. "Dowman is potentially the future of Arsenal. Arteta didn't get that quite right," he added.
Arsenal's finishing and Arteta's verdict on the defeat
Arteta offered no complaints about his players' effort, and was gracious about the result. "First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood for going through to the next round in the manner they've done it," he told Sky Sports. "A really sad day for us."
His frustration was reserved for the conversion rate. Arsenal put 19 shots off target, with Kai Havertz the most guilty of missing three or four top opportunities. "I cannot fault at all the attitude of the players, I haven't seen anybody not doing what is required at this level but we had so much of the ball, had so many chances, so many shots and if you want the margins to be bigger than going to penalties, you have to capitalise on that," Arteta said.
"It wasn't to do with attitude otherwise I would be here fuming. I'm sad, we're all sad. We have a responsibility to represent this badge in the best possible way. It was nothing to do with effort, application or determination to go and win it, but we lacked other things to create much bigger margins."
For Arsenal, the questions now split in two: how a senior squad converts that volume of chances, and how a 16-year-old is managed in the minutes after a mistake. Arteta has answered the second only partially.
The original report is from skysports.com.
