Arsenal: What did Mikel Arteta say to Max Dowman after red card against Fleetwood?

Arteta revealed he had warned Dowman before the match about retaliation after the teenager's straight red card in Arsenal's shock Carabao Cup penalty loss to Fleetwood Town.

Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup to League Two side Fleetwood Town on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with 16-year-old Max Dowman sent off for kicking out at Harrison Neal in the closing stages.

Manager Mikel Arteta addressed Dowman angrily from the touchline as the teenager headed down the tunnel. When asked what he said, Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Something that we discussed already before the match." His response suggested he had pre-match warned Dowman about the physical treatment he might face and the importance of not retaliating. Dowman had previously been sent off while playing for England Under-19s earlier this month.

Arteta declined to judge the dismissal before reviewing footage but insisted he could not fault his players' attitude, saying they had failed to capitalize on their chances: "We insisted so much, we have so much of the ball, so many chances, so many shots, and if you want the margins to be bigger than going to the penalties, obviously, you need to capitalize on that. And we didn't."