Mikel Arteta has refused to soften his message to Max Dowman, telling the 16-year-old that the Premier League is "not Disneyland" after Arsenal's appeal against his red card was rejected — but the Gunners boss also delivered a triple injury boost before Sunday's trip to Liverpool, with Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis all back in training.
Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute of Tuesday's Carabao Cup defeat at Fleetwood Town, shown a straight red for kicking out at Harrison Neal after a heavy challenge from the defender. Ten-man Arsenal drew 1-1 and then lost the shootout 5-3 to the League Two side. The FA confirmed on Thursday that an independent commission had dismissed both the wrongful-dismissal and excessive-punishment claims, leaving Dowman suspended for Liverpool on Sunday, Hull City on November 7 and Newcastle on November 21.
Arteta's stern reaction as the teenager left the pitch drew criticism, with some pundits arguing he should have put an arm around him. Speaking on Friday, the Arsenal manager did not back down.
'We look after him — but he has to earn the right to play'
"This is the environment, this is the reality. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League," Arteta said, in comments reported by Reuters. "We look after him so much but at the same time we're going to demand from him like everybody else because he needs to earn the right to play. Because the other boys, what are they going to say to me? You need to be fair."
Arteta insisted there is no rift. "There are no issues. We had a talk yesterday," he said, explaining that his touchline reaction was driven by frustration at the consequences for Dowman himself. He also admitted he was "very disappointed" that the appeal failed, arguing Dowman's reaction was minimal compared with the reckless tackle he had received. It was Dowman's second red card this month, after one on England Under-19 duty — a pattern Arteta clearly wants stopped now, not later.
Triple boost for Anfield
There was far better news elsewhere in the squad. Rice, Calafiori and Tzolis all trained on Friday, according to Sports Mole's report of the press conference, and will train again on Saturday. "They all trained today, they will train tomorrow and if everything is OK they will be available," Arteta said.
Rice and Calafiori picked up issues in last weekend's 2-0 win over Everton, while Tzolis has missed six matches with the thigh injury he suffered on Greece duty. Their return matters most out wide and in midfield, where Arsenal have looked stretched. Noni Madueke remains a late call: "We don't know yet, we have a training session tomorrow and see if he can complete the full session," Arteta said of the winger's ankle problem. Bukayo Saka and William Saliba remain out with longer-term issues.
Liverpool have fitness doubts of their own, with head coach Andoni Iraola saying Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz both have "a chance" of being involved on Sunday.
So what does it mean?
Arsenal go to Anfield winless in their last 13 league visits, a run stretching back to 2012-13, and they do it without Saka, Saliba and Dowman. Getting Rice and Calafiori back is therefore not a luxury — it is the difference between a side that can impose itself and one that spends the afternoon surviving. Tzolis, if fit, may even be asked to play on the right immediately, given how thin Arteta's options are on that flank.
For Dowman, the ban does not apply to Europe, so he remains available for the Champions League trip to Slavia Prague on Wednesday — a useful reminder that this is a pause in his season, not the end of it, if he takes the lesson on board.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Arteta is right, and the timing is deliberate. Dowman is good enough to be treated as a first-team player, so he has to accept first-team consequences — protecting him from that would be the real disservice. But the manager has also made sure the boy heard it privately on Thursday before he said it publicly on Friday. That is tough love done properly, not a manager hanging a teenager out to dry.
Can Arsenal end their long Anfield drought on Sunday, and has Arteta handled the Dowman situation the right way? Let us know in the comments.
