Mikel Arteta’s immediate reaction to Max Dowman’s red card against Fleetwood Town has become one of the biggest talking points from Arsenal’s shock Carabao Cup exit.The 16-year-old was sent off late in the 1-1 draw after reacting to a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal, before Arsenal went on to lose 5-3 on penalties.Arteta was visibly unhappy as Dowman left the pitch, and his apparent message to the teenager has now been revealed.Arteta’s message to Dowman revealed by lip readerAccording to Football.London, lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling believes Arteta told Dowman: “Get in the changing room, Max.”The Arsenal manager refused to reveal exactly what he had said when questioned after the match.Instead, Arteta explained: “It was something that we discussed before the game.”That comment appeared to suggest Arsenal had specifically spoken about maintaining discipline in what was expected to be a physical cup tie.Sky Sports reported that Arteta had warned his players beforehand about controlling their emotions, making Dowman’s reaction particularly frustrating for the Spaniard.The manager’s response has divided opinion. Paul Merson felt Arteta should have shown more sympathy towards a 16-year-old making an emotional mistake, while others have argued that Arteta was simply reinforcing standards expected at first-team level.Arsenal have since appealed the dismissal, with a successful challenge potentially preventing Dowman from serving a three-match domestic suspension.Arteta’s message shows his standards at Arsenal(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Arteta’s reaction makes sense from a managerial point of view.If Arsenal had specifically discussed discipline before kick-off, seeing Dowman react in exactly the way they had warned against would naturally be frustrating. However, the player’s age cannot be ignored.Dowman is only 16 and is still learning how to manage high-pressure situations at senior level.Telling him to go straight to the dressing room may have been Arteta’s way of preventing the situation from escalating, but it also created the impression that the teenager was being publicly punished. That is where the balance becomes important.Elite standards should apply to everyone, but younger players also need guidance rather than simply criticism.Arteta will almost certainly have handled the conversation differently in private. The most important thing now is how Dowman responds.Arsenal tracking 22-year-old attacking sensation who “lives 24/7 for football” The post Mikel Arteta’s strong message to Dowman right after his red card explained by lip reader appeared first on CaughtOffside.