Paul Merson slams Arteta’s reaction to Dowman’s red card in Arsenal’s Fleetwood loss

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has criticised Mikel Arteta’s reaction to Max Dowman’s red card during the Gunners’ shock Carabao Cup exit against Fleetwood Town.

According to GOAL, Arsenal were eliminated after a 1-1 draw and a 5-3 penalty shootout defeat against the League Two side on Tuesday. Sixteen-year-old Dowman received a straight red card in the 85th minute for kicking out at Harrison Neal following a challenge.

Arteta appeared furious as the teenager left the pitch, prompting Merson to question the manager’s handling of the situation. “I’d be more interested to see what Mikel Arteta said to him when he was walking off. This didn’t look good to me at all,” Merson said on Sky Sports.

He added: “If it was me, I’d have put my arm around him.”Arteta declined to reveal his exact words but insisted the team had discussed the need for emotional control before the match. “It was something that we discussed before the game,” the Arsenal manager explained.

The defeat ended Arsenal’s Carabao Cup campaign, leaving Arteta to manage the fallout ahead of their Premier League clash against Liverpool.