🚨 Mikel Arteta reveals what he told Max Dowman after his red card against Fleetwood Town: 🎙️ Interviewer: “Mikel, cameras caught you speaking furiously to Max Dowman as he headed down the tunnel after his red card. What did you say to him? Mikel Arteta: “I was furious. I’m not going to stand here and pretend otherwise. We have just been eliminated from the Carabao Cup by a League Two side sitting 18th in their division, and when you play for Arsenal, you have to understand the responsibility that comes with that shirt” “I told Max, ‘Look at me. I understand that the player kicked you. I understand that you were angry, and I understand that you felt you needed to react. But you cannot allow another player to decide your actions for you!’ “Do you know what hurts me most? He is a young player with incredible talent, and we are trying to help him grow. But tonight, he gave the opposition exactly what they wanted. They provoked him, he reacted, and suddenly we are talking about his red card instead of what this team was supposed to achieve” “I told him, ‘Max, you can be angry. You can feel disrespected. You can believe the referee should have protected you better. But you cannot lose control. Not here. Not in this shirt. Not when your teammates are depending on you!’ “And yes, I was harsh with him. He needed to understand how serious this was. His actions hurt the team, and we cannot simply brush that aside because he is young. Being young gives you room to learn, but it does not mean there are no consequences. “But let me make one thing clear: I will not abandon a young player because he has made a mistake. I will challenge him, I will demand more from him, and I will help him become better. Max has a future, but talent alone will not protect him from difficult nights like this. “Tonight should hurt. It should hurt every one of us. We have to look at ourselves, accept the consequences and make sure we never put ourselves in this position again.”