Arteta discusses Dowman's red card incident and reveals injury updates

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appeared at a press conference to discuss the upcoming match on Sunday against Liverpool in the 9th round of the Premier League at Anfield.

Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, spoke about his reaction after young player Max Dowman was sent off in the League Cup, explaining the reasons for his outburst during the match, while also emphasizing his commitment to protect the player and urging him to remain dedicated to the team and the club.

Mikel Arteta commented on his reaction after the red card: "My reaction came as a result of a moment of intense emotion and frustration, because I understand the consequences of that, especially for Max. It's something we talked about just before we went onto the pitch, as it’s not the first time this has happened; it occurred earlier this month with the England U19 team. It will continue to happen because of the way he plays and how he attracts opponents' challenges, and that’s all there is to it."

He added: "We have to be able to tell each other what we think, he is 16 years old, and we have to protect him fiercely, but at the same time, we need to be clear and honest with him about what we expect from him towards the team, individuals, and the club."

Speaking about his relationship with Max Dowman after the incident, he said: "There are no problems between us. We spoke yesterday, and I did what I had to do. That’s why I am very keen to handle these matters, especially with young players, because we have made such mistakes before, and we know the extent of the penalties a player may face and how it affects what happens afterwards. This is not the first time this has happened, so we need to put a stop to it very quickly."

Regarding the rejection of the appeal submitted by the club to overturn the red card received by Max Dowman, Arteta said: "I feel a great disappointment, especially considering the reckless challenges the player faced. His reaction was minimal compared to the actual foul he suffered. I am disappointed that the decision was not overturned."

Regarding the punishment of the player who was subjected to challenges, he added: "This is the reality. We have put all the arguments on the table to defend our position. The incident is very clear. It is obvious that we have a completely different opinion, and besides that, I believe that the context of the player, his age, and what happened to him previously should be considered; the consequences could have been very severe. We are lucky today that he did not suffer a broken foot, and that is clear."

Regarding the reactions of football fans to his behavior after Max Dowman's dismissal, Arteta said: "I haven't followed the reactions to my actions, whether they were positive or negative. But you must understand the context and the nature of the relationship I have with him, and what we talked about just before we went out onto the pitch."

He added: "I don't know, you could see a different reaction. If you watched my parents' reaction towards me on some days, you might say you don't like the way they treat me. For me, that was the best reaction that expresses my personality."

He continued: "If you want to see the perfect and beautiful reaction, do you want to see his teammates when they have to play with ten players? Do you want to see that? What do you expect? And what about the England national team? The players there are the same age as him, they are 16 years old. What reaction do you expect? This is the level, and this is the reaction, whether it is right or wrong, that was my reaction. And if you want to know my reaction when I don't win, do you want to know how I feel? I get very angry."

Arteta concluded his remarks by stating: "We have to be ready for that. This is the environment we work in, and this is the reality, otherwise we would be like we are in a Disney world. We are not in a Disney world, we are in the Premier League, and this is the level, we care about it and protect it to a degree you cannot imagine, but at the same time we will demand from him what we demand from everyone, because he has to earn his right to play. Otherwise, what will the rest of the players say to me? I have to be fair to everyone."

Regarding Noni Madueke's readiness to participate in Sunday's match, Arteta explained: "We don't know yet. We have a training session tomorrow, and we will see if he is able to complete the training fully, and then we will know if he is available to participate."

Regarding the severity of Bukayo Saka's injury, he said: "The player needed to undergo additional tests to determine the extent of the injury, whether the tendon has been affected, and how serious that impact is. After that, we will know more about his condition."

When asked about the possibility of Bukayo Saka being excluded from the England squad during the international break, he replied: "I don't know. It seems that could happen, but we have to wait until next week to see how things will unfold."

Regarding Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, and Christos Tsoulis, Arsenal's manager said: "They all trained today, and they will train tomorrow as well, and if all goes well, they will be available to participate."