After Fleetwood's shock win over Arsenal: Arteta's Dowman reaction, a three-game ban and a town's 'biggest night'

The morning after one of English soccer’s biggest cup upsets, the story has moved from the scoreline to the fallout. League Two Fleetwood Town drew 1-1 with Premier League champions Arsenal on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and won the Carabao Cup shootout 5-3 to reach the quarterfinals. Now the attention is on Max Dowman’s red card, Mikel Arteta’s reaction to it and what the night means for a small Lancashire club.

Max Dowman’s red card and suspension

Dowman, 16, was sent off in the 85th minute. The Independent reported that Fleetwood midfielder Harrison Neal caught him with a heavy challenge from behind near the touchline, and Dowman kicked out in response, which sparked a brawl. Referee Michael Salisbury, who did not have VAR available, showed him a straight red card for violent conduct.

What it means for him:

• A three-game ban: The Independent reported that Dowman will miss Arsenal’s next three Premier League games, starting with Sunday’s trip to Liverpool.
• Bad timing: The Independent added that Bukayo Saka is expected to be out for several weeks with an injury, and that Arteta said Noni Madueke could miss the Liverpool game too. That suggests Dowman might have been in line to start at Anfield.
• A second red this month: The Guardian noted it was Dowman’s second sending-off of October, after one for England’s Under-19 team.

It was only Dowman’s second start of the season, after his two-goal game against Ipswich in the previous round, according to The Independent.

What did Arteta say to Dowman?

As Dowman walked off and headed down the tunnel, Arteta appeared to say something sharp to him. Asked what it was, Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live it was “something that we discussed already before the match,” and he wouldn’t go further, The Independent and Sky Sports reported.

On the red card itself, Arteta said: “It’s difficult to see on the cameras like that, so I prefer to watch it back properly, and then I can assess the situation.” Asked if the teenager would learn from it, he said, “Yeah, we’ll learn from everything,” according to BBC Sport.

He also told reporters, per The Guardian: “When we prepare the context of the match, we were very clear on the things you expect, the things that emotionally we have to dominate.”

Pundits push back

Not everyone liked how Arteta handled it. Former Arsenal player Paul Merson told Sky Sports: “If that’s [Viktor] Gyokeres, who’s an experienced international, he isn’t doing that, but he does that to a 16-year-old kid?” He added: “If it was me, I’d have put my arm around him. It’s still 1-1, they’re still in the game.”

Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff agreed. “It is frustration from Dowman, but when you see the reaction from Arteta… we have to remember he’s 16,” he said.

Arteta: “A really sad day for us”

Arteta congratulated Fleetwood and said he could not fault his players’ attitude. “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,” he told Sky Sports, as quoted by BBC Sport. “I’m sad, I think we are all sad.”

Fleetwood: “The biggest night in the club’s history”

For Fleetwood, it was pure joy. Manager Matt Lawlor called it “the biggest night in the club’s history in terms of opposition coming to town,” according to BBC Sport. The Guardian reported that many of the 4,000 home fans ran onto the field after Conor Haughey’s winning kick against a team 84 places above them in the English pyramid.

“Football’s getting a little bit more… clinical and sanitized,” Lawlor told The Guardian. “That was what you kind of live for, isn’t it?” He admitted he fought back tears: “I was trying to not cry and I didn’t. I’ve managed to hold it.”

Goalkeeper Jay Lynch, who saved Bruno Guimarães’ penalty, said the team took inspiration from Grimsby Town beating Manchester United in the same competition last season. “My voice has gone from organizing the defense,” he told Sky Sports, per BBC Sport.

The upset came out of nowhere. BBC Sport noted Fleetwood are 18th in League Two, have won once in their last eight league games and had lost 4-2 at Cheltenham and 2-1 at Exeter in the week before.

What’s next

This is Fleetwood’s first League Cup quarterfinal since joining the English Football League in 2012, BBC Sport reported. Defender Jake Batty said the team should be “fearless” and hoped for another home draw.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Fleetwood stun Arsenal on penalties in the Carabao Cup as Max Dowman sees red (Oct 27)