Arsenal’s Carabao Cup exit at Fleetwood Town was painful enough, but one moment late in the game has got people talking.

With five minutes of normal time left, Max Dowman was sent off after appearing to kick out at a Fleetwood player who had tackled him hard. As the 16-year-old walked off, Mikel Arteta was seen having a stern word with him, and when asked about it after the game, the Arsenal boss gave a blunt response.

Former Arsenal man Paul Merson didn’t like what he saw.

Paul Merson on Mikel Arteta and Max Dowman

Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Merson felt the red card itself was harsh. “I just thought it could have easily been a yellow, in my opinion,” he said. “You’ve got to remember he’s 16 years of age. He’s a kid. He wasn’t having the greatest night, so he’s going to get frustrated.”

He also pointed out that the Fleetwood player’s challenge was a tough one. “It’s an old-fashioned tackle,” Merson added. “He gets the ball and then gets the player, you know. And his boot’s tangled up and he’s booted away.”

But it was Arteta’s reaction that Merson questioned most. “To get to that point as quickly as he did, giving him a proper telling-off… if that’s Gyokeres, he ain’t doing that,” he said. “If it was Gyokeres, who’s an experienced international, I personally don’t think he does that. But he does that to a 16-year-old kid.

“He’s an unbelievable talent, but he’s a human being. He’s not going to be the last person to get sent off at Arsenal. He’s not the first. For me, I’d have put my arm round him. It’s still 1-1, they’re still in the game. We’ve all said stuff in life when you think, I shouldn’t have said that. For me, that’s a classic moment where if he could have that back, he would do it different.”

There may be more context to Arteta’s frustration, though. After the game, he revealed that Noni Madueke has an ankle injury, and with Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis already out, Dowman was one of the few natural options out wide. A suspension would rule him out of Sunday’s trip to Liverpool, just when Arsenal need him most.

Many Arsenal fans agreed the red card was harsh. Arteta said he wanted to watch it back before giving his verdict, so he’s likely to be asked about it again before Anfield.