Arteta sets standards for Dowman after red card in Arsenal's Carabao Cup exit
Mikel Arteta says he will hold Max Dowman to the same standards as other Arsenal players after the 16-year-old's red card against Fleetwood, insisting "we are not in Disneyland."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said he will treat Max Dowman like any other first-team player after the 16-year-old was sent off in the 85th minute of the club's penalty shoot-out defeat to Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. Dowman was dismissed for reacting to a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal and will serve a three-match ban. Arteta, visibly annoyed, spoke to the teenager as he left the pitch.
Speaking on Friday for the first time about the incident, Arteta said he had warned the attacker before the game about handling provocation. He acknowledged that his own reaction might draw criticism, comparing it to how a parent might respond to a child, but described it as the most authentic response for him. He confirmed he had spoken with Dowman on Thursday and that there were "no issues at all" between them.
The manager stressed the need to be "very straight" with Dowman about expected standards, arguing the teenager must earn his right to play like everyone else in the squad. "We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League and this level," Arteta said, adding that the club looks after the player extensively but will still demand the same from him as from the rest of the team.
Arteta noted that Dowman was also sent off for England U19s earlier this month in a match against the United States, where he had again faced heavy challenges. The manager linked the two dismissals to the player's age group, saying that is the level and the reaction at 16, whether right or wrong.
Arsenal appealed against the red card but the Football Association upheld the decision. Arteta said he was "very disappointed" and added that the club was fortunate Dowman had not suffered a broken foot.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
