Arsenal starlet Max Dowman was sent off before the Gunners lost to Fleetwood Town on penalties in the Carabao Cup and Mikel Arteta has had his say

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta refused to be drawn on Max Dowman's red card following the Gunners' Carabao Cup exit to Fleetwood Town but said his outburst was related to a message he sent ahead of the game. The Spaniard looked furious as Dowman was given his marching orders and shared a few angry words in the youngster's direction as he left the field

With the score level, Dowman reacted after a firm challenge from Harrison Neal. The 16-year-old kicked out at his opponent, who remained on the ground, to be brandished a red card and to provoke a tussle on the pitch between the two sides.

Arteta was furious on the sidelines and could be seen sharing a few angry words with Dowman as the teenager headed into the changing rooms. The Arsenal boss, however, wanted to review the incident before making his views public.

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"It is difficult to see on the cameras so I prefer to watch it back properly and then I can assess the situation," he told Sky Sports.

He provided a curt response when asked if Dowman can learn from the moment. "Yeah, we will learn from everything," he said.

Asked about what he said to Dowman as he made his way off the pitch, Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Something that we discussed already before the match."

Sky Sports pundit and former Crystal Palace and Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff believes Dowman needs to be given some grace given his tender age. "I'm really surprised [about Arteta's reaction]," he said.

"Listen, maybe you know it's a bit of naivety, he's a young lad. But he [Arteta] gives him a proper talking to as he goes down the tunnel.

"Clearly not happy with that ill-discipline. But we do have to remember he's a young boy - he's a kid - in a really high-pressure situation."

"I can't understand Mikel Arteta's reaction," he later added. "Listen, he probably feels frustrated, he's the manager, he probably feels it's a bit petulant, a bit naive, which is what I think it is. It's not really a full kick, his knee's kind of already in contact with the player, it's almost like a flick out really [after] the meaty challenge. It's frustration from Max Dowman after a bit of a difficult night.

"But when we see the reaction from Mikel Arteta, we have to remember, this is a 16-year-old kid. Yes, he's got an Arsenal shirt on; yes, he's a fantastic talent. He's going to make some mistakes along the way.

"I just felt the reaction, I didn't like it at all. He's obviously given him a little bit going down the tunnel."

Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson believes it was a harsh decision to send Dowman off. He said: "If they'd have had VAR they might have looked at it again.

"I feel for the lad. He's 16, hasn't had the greatest night, is a bit frustrated and has kicked away. I'd be interested to see what Mikel Arteta said to him when he walked off."