ARTETA WARNS 16-YEAR-OLD DOWMAN TO MEET ARSENAL FIRST-TEAM STANDARDS

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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has warned 16-year-old Max Dowman that he must be held to the same standards as other first-team players following his three-match suspension for a red card against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.

Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute of Arsenal’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Fleetwood on Tuesday after reacting to a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal.

The dismissal marked the teenager’s second red card in a short period, having also been sent off while representing England Under-19s in a match against the United States earlier this month.

According to BBC Sport, Arteta, who spoke publicly about the incident for the first time on Friday, disclosed that he had cautioned Dowman before the Fleetwood encounter about the need to remain composed when provoked.

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The Spanish tactician also defended his reaction to the teenager’s dismissal, saying their relationship and a conversation they had before the match should be considered in understanding his response.

“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 revealed that he spoke with Dowman on Thursday, adding that there were no issues between them.

However, Arteta insisted that while the club would continue to protect and support the youngster, he must meet the same expectations as his more experienced teammates.

He said Dowman must earn his place in the team through discipline and performance, stressing the importance of fairness to every member of the squad.

“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,” he added.

Arteta further emphasised that professional football was a demanding environment where players must learn to handle pressure, disappointment and difficult situations.

Describing the realities of the Premier League, he warned that football was not a place where players could expect everything to go smoothly.

“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.

The Arsenal manager also acknowledged that defeats often trigger strong emotions in him, noting that his players must understand and be prepared for his reactions when results do not go their way.

Meanwhile, Arsenal appealed Dowman’s red card, but the Football Association rejected the appeal, upholding the three-match suspension.

Arteta expressed disappointment over the decision but noted that the club was fortunate the teenager did not sustain a more serious injury during the incident.

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