Carabao Cup4 hours ago1 minute read

Arteta Stays Quiet On Frustrated Reaction To Dowman Red Card

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta refused to explain his angry exchange with 16 year old Max Dowman during a shock Carabao Cup loss to Fleetwood Town.

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Tension on the touchline

Mikel Arteta stayed tight lipped about his angry reaction to 16 year old Max Dowman getting sent off during Arsenal's Carabao Cup defeat to fourth tier Fleetwood Town.

Dowman was shown a red card after reacting to a challenge from Harrison Neal. As the teenager walked toward the tunnel, Arteta glared at him and shared angry words. Arsenal went on to lose the match in a penalty shootout after a shock performance against lower league opposition.

Arteta explains his view

After the defeat, Arteta said his reaction was about something they discussed before the game. He admitted he had not seen the challenge back on video, noting that the camera does not show everything, but accepted the referee's decision.

Arteta insisted that even with 10 men, Arsenal had three big chances to score. He congratulated Fleetwood Town on their performance and the atmosphere they created. He said he had nothing to fault his players for regarding attitude and intensity, but admitted that failing to score three, four or five goals left no margin for error.

Pundits question the manager

Former players questioned how Arteta treated the young winger. Paul Merson pointed out that Dowman is just a 16 year old kid who was getting frustrated on a tough night. He suggested Arteta would not react that way toward an experienced international like Viktor Gyökeres. Jobi McAnuff agreed, noting that Dowman is potentially the future of Arsenal and that Arteta did not get his reaction quite right.

When asked how Arsenal prepare for the teenager being targeted with fouls, Arteta refused to give details, stating only that the team must dominate emotionally on the pitch.

What it means for the next game

Liverpool vs Arsenal (Premier League, Sun, 01 Nov): Liverpool win 31%, draw 28%, Arsenal win 41%; expected goals 1.19 to 1.40. Our safest pick: Under 3.5 goals.

Slavia Prague vs Arsenal (Champions League, Wed, 04 Nov): Slavia Prague win 12%, draw 18%, Arsenal win 70%; expected goals 0.92 to 2.43. Our safest pick: Arsenal draw no bet.