Arsenal teenager Max Dowman has been making headlines for the wrong reasons for the first time in his fledgling career of late, with manager Mikel Arteta also in the spotlight.

The 16 year-old, widely regarded as one of the most talented young players, not only at Arsenal, but in the Premier League, was sent off during the Gunners' Carabao Cup clash with Fleetwood Town at the end of October.

The teenager retaliated to a hefty challenge from Harrison Neal by appearing to kick out at the Cod Army player. The red card has led to a three-game ban and a moment of reflection for a young player.

Arsenal would go on to lose the Carabao Cup tie on penalties in what was a huge shock, with Arteta also under the microscope after his reaction to the sending off.

Arteta was seen with a stern look on his face, aiming a few words at his teen prodigy as he trudged off the pitch and was asked about his reaction the next time he faced the media.

I haven't seen the reaction to my reaction, whether it is positive or negative. But you need to understand the context and the relationship that I have with him and what we discussed just before we went out. This is the reality, otherwise we are in Disneyland. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League and this is the level.

Arteta would go on to say that Arsenal "look after" Dowman, but that he would be treated the same way as anyone else in the dressing room "because the other boys, what are they going to tell me, 'you need to be fair'".

Dowman missed the Premier League match with Liverpool as a result of the sending off and will be banned for the games with Hull City this weekend and Newcastle United on November 21 as a result of a three-match suspension.

Dowman needs to be managed in a certain way at Arsenal

Former Gunners defender William Gallas, who was known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and having a few mad moments himself, backed the Gunners boss for his actions.

He said: "I think Mikel Arteta did well. It's very important to manage players who are really young. You have to make him feel he is very important for the team but at the same time you can't give him too much credit because he's still a young boy.

"He has to learn. He has to go step by step. We know so many players who were considered the best players in the world at this age and then when they turn 20, they disappear.

"The boy has to learn and understand that not everything is easy, even if he has the quality, because we don't know what is going to happen in the future for him.

"Sometimes when everything is too easy for you at the beginning, if you face difficulties later in your career, you don't know how to respond. Straight away you start to get furious because your manager doesn't put you in the starting XI, and you don't understand why. That's why it's very important to manage players who are really young very well."