Arteta explains what he said to 16-year-old Dowman after red card

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained his reaction to 16-year-old Max Dowman as the teenager left the pitch after being sent off in the club's Carabao Cup (English League Cup) fourth-round tie against Fleetwood Town. The match finished 1-1, and Fleetwood, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, won 4-3 on penalties to eliminate the Premier League side.

What happened on the pitch

Shortly before the shoot-out, Dowman was shown a red card for violent conduct after allegedly lashing out at Fleetwood defender Harrison Neal. The two had contested a couple of 50-50 balls before a brawl broke out. As Dowman walked down the tunnel, Arteta appeared to lean towards him and say something.

Arteta's explanation

Asked by reporters what he had said, Arteta replied that it was something the two had discussed before the game, and he declined to give further detail. He said he had not seen the incident on camera, that the referee made the decision, and that Arsenal still created three big chances to score a second goal with ten men.

Criticism from pundits

Paul Merson, a former player now working as a Sky Sports pundit, said Arteta would not have behaved that way towards an experienced international such as Viktor Gyokeres. He argued the manager should have put an arm around the teenager, since the score was still 1-1. Fellow pundit Jobi McAnuff said he disliked the reaction and stressed that Dowman is only 16.

On the defeat

Arteta congratulated Fleetwood and said he could not fault his players' attitude. In his view, Arsenal had plenty of the ball and many chances, including 19 shots off target, but failed to take them.