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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defends his stern reaction to Max Dowman’s red card in their League Cup defeat to Fleetwood. Andoni Iraola warns against looking too far ahead.
Max Dowman (Picture credit: AP)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended his reaction to Max Dowman’s red card during the Gunners’ shock League Cup defeat to fourth-tier Fleetwood, insisting that the 16-year-old must understand the demands of professional football.
The Premier League champions suffered an embarrassing exit from the competition on Tuesday after losing 5-3 on penalties to Fleetwood following a 1-1 draw in normal time. The defeat was made worse by Dowman’s dismissal five minutes before the end of the match.
The teenage midfielder was sent off for attempting to kick Harrison Neal. Although the decision appeared harsh, Arteta was visibly unhappy with Dowman’s reaction and had a stern exchange with the youngster as he left the pitch.
The Arsenal manager subsequently faced criticism from pundits who felt he should have shown greater sympathy towards the 16-year-old. However, Arteta stood by his actions during a press conference on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Liverpool.
“I understand. But you need to understand the context, the relationship that I have with him and what we discussed just before we went out (for the match),” Arteta said.
He also pointed to the impact Dowman’s dismissal had on his teammates, who were forced to play with 10 men during the closing stages.
“You want to see the reaction of his team-mates? When they have to play with 10, you want to see that? What do you expect? I don’t know… This is the environment and this is the reality. Otherwise, we are in Disneyland. We are not in Disneyland; we are in the Premier League,” he added.
Dowman has been carefully managed by Arsenal since making his senior debut at the age of 15. However, Arteta stressed that the youngster would be held to the same standards as the rest of the squad despite his age.
“We look after him so much but at the same time we’re going to be demanding because he needs to earn the right to play, just like everybody else,” the Spaniard said.
The Arsenal boss also revealed that a similar incident had occurred during Dowman’s involvement with England Under-19s earlier this month. He expects the teenager to face further challenges because of the way he plays and attracts attention from opponents.
Arteta insisted that he had no personal issues with Dowman but expressed disappointment with the decision to uphold the red card after Arsenal appealed against it. The youngster will now serve an immediate three-match suspension for violent conduct.
“I’m very disappointed to be fair, especially with the reckless tackles that he received, and then his reaction is minimal in relation to the action,” Arteta said.
Andoni Iraola warns Liverpool against looking too far ahead
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has urged his players to remain focused on improving despite their recent run of five consecutive victories in all competitions.
Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, with a victory potentially taking them within three points of the Gunners. Arsenal are currently level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot ahead of the season, has overseen an encouraging start to his tenure on Merseyside. Liverpool’s recent results have also raised hopes among supporters of a possible title challenge.
However, the Spaniard believes it is too early to focus on the league standings, with the season still in October.
“It is still October. We have to take one game at a time and I always say the reference is more or less when we’ve played against each other once so halfway through the season. That’s when you can start to look at the standings,” Iraola said.
He welcomed the optimism among Liverpool supporters but insisted that his team still had plenty of work to do.
“For fans, it is good if they have expectations or they think we can win,” he added.
Iraola also acknowledged the quality of Arsenal, describing Sunday’s encounter as a demanding challenge against a team with strong players who work well together.
“We know Arsenal and how good they are. They have very good players, working a lot in synchronicity and we have to be ready for that challenge,” he said.
Despite Liverpool’s five-match winning streak, Iraola pointed out that only two of those victories had come in the Premier League. He believes his side need more league wins to close the gap on the teams above them.
Liverpool will therefore look to extend their winning run against Arsenal, while Arteta’s side will aim to put their midweek League Cup disappointment behind them and strengthen their position in the title race.
(With AFP Inputs)
Quick Answers
Ask News18Mikel Arteta defended his stern reaction by emphasizing that 16-year-old Max Dowman must understand the harsh demands and reality of professional football rather than expecting an easy environment. He also pointed out the negative impact that playing with 10 men had on his teammates during the closing stages of the League Cup defeat.
Ask News18October 30, 2026, 21:23 IST
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