Mikel Arteta has defended the way he reacted to Max Dowman's red card, telling reporters he has not followed the public response and would not change how he behaved in the moment. The Arsenal manager was speaking at his pre-match news conference on Friday, 30 October 2026, ahead of his side's meeting with Liverpool, as part of a busy Premier League media day that also featured Andoni Iraola, Roberto De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso and Enzo Maresca, according to BBC.
Arteta said he was unaware whether the reaction to his reaction had been positive or negative. He argued that context matters, pointing to his relationship with the young player and to what the pair had discussed shortly before the team went out.
Why it matters
The episode has put fresh attention on how a 16-year-old is handled in the senior game, and on the scrutiny managers face when a teenager is sent off. Arteta used the question to set out his view of elite football's emotional reality, and to insist that Dowman will be treated like any other squad member when it comes to selection.
His comments came on a day when Arsenal's team news was already under close examination. Reports from the London Evening Standard, The Sun and FourFourTwo focused on the availability of Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, with the Evening Standard describing a triple boost for the Liverpool fixture and suggesting as many as four players could return. The Sun reported that Christos Tzolis is hoping to be back.
Arteta: "You cannot imagine" the care around Dowman
Arteta rejected the idea that his touchline behaviour needed to be softened for public consumption. He compared the situation to family life, saying that even his own parents' reactions to him might not please outside observers, and that his response was simply the honest one.
He asked what people expected from Dowman's team-mates when they had to play a man down, and from players of the same age in the England setup. He said that was the level, and that was the reaction.
Arteta was equally direct about his mood after a defeat, saying he is furious when he does not win and that everyone involved must be prepared for that. He described the Premier League as a place where that intensity is the norm rather than a fantasy, and said his staff look after Dowman to an extent people cannot imagine while still demanding the same standards of him as everyone else. He framed that demand as a matter of fairness to the rest of the squad.
Team news dominates the build-up
The news conferences came with the weekend's fixtures approaching, and Arsenal's injury situation drew the most headlines. The Evening Standard reported that Arteta had revealed a triple boost for the Liverpool game, with four players potentially available. The Sun's report said Arsenal could welcome back four stars for the clash and that Tzolis is hoping to feature. FourFourTwo centred its coverage on whether Rice is fit, while Fantasy Football Scout carried notes on both Calafiori and Rice after Arsenal's cup exit.
Those reports are attributed to the respective outlets; Arsenal have not been quoted here beyond Arteta's remarks on Dowman. The manager's press conference also covered the wider round of Premier League media duties, with BBC listing Iraola, De Zerbi, Alonso and Maresca among those speaking on the same day.
A manager under the microscope
Arteta's exchange illustrated how quickly a single incident involving a young player can become a talking point about a manager's conduct. Rather than apologise or promise to change, he set out a defence built on authenticity and on the duty he says he owes the rest of the group.
He also made clear that Dowman's age does not exempt him from the competition for places. The message was that protection off the pitch and expectation on it are not in conflict, and that the other players would have grounds to complain if the teenager were held to a different standard.
Arsenal's squad decisions for Liverpool will be confirmed closer to kick-off, with the fitness of Rice and Calafiori the main items to watch.
