Arteta tells Dowman to step up after red card

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told 16-year-old Max Dowman to meet the same standards as the other first-team players. This comes after Dowman received a three-match ban for his red card against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.

Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute during Arsenal’s penalty shoot-out loss to Fleetwood on Tuesday. He reacted to a hard challenge from Harrison Neal, which led to his dismissal.

This is not the first time Dowman has been sent off. He also got a red card earlier this month while playing for England Under-19s against the United States.

Arteta spoke about the incident for the first time on Friday. He said he had warned Dowman before the Fleetwood match about dealing with provocation.

The Arsenal boss defended his reaction to Dowman’s red card. He insisted that their relationship and the conversation they had before the game should be taken into account.

“You need to understand the context and the relationship that I have with him and what we discussed just before we went out,” Arteta said.

He added that he had talked with Dowman on Thursday and confirmed there were “no issues at all” between them.

But Arteta stressed that the teenager must understand what it takes to play for Arsenal’s first team. He said Dowman should be treated fairly alongside his more experienced teammates.

“So, we need to be ready for that. 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 and this level,” he said.

Arteta continued, “We look after him so much that you cannot imagine. But at the same time we are going to demand from him, like everybody else, because he needs to earn the right to play. Because the other boys, what are they going to tell me? You need to be fair.”

The manager also highlighted the competitive nature of professional football. He warned that players must be ready to handle pressure, disappointment, and tough situations.

“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 and this level,” he said again.

Arteta admitted that losing matches brings out strong feelings in him. He added that his players must be ready for his reactions when things don’t go their way.

Meanwhile, Arsenal has appealed Dowman’s red card, but the Football Association upheld the original decision. This means the teenager will serve his three-match suspension.

Arteta expressed his disappointment with the appeal outcome. He suggested that the club was fortunate that Dowman did not suffer a more serious injury.

“I am very disappointed. We are lucky today that he hasn’t had a broken foot,” he said.