"Read his lips and got caught in a harsh remark": Arsenal manager barks at 16-year-old prospect, "Go to the locker room right now..." → Was it necessary to scold him? 'Criticism explodes'

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A major upset occurred as Arsenal, the 'defending champions' of the English Premier League (EPL), were defeated by a fourth-division team. Amid the setback of a red card for a 16-year-old prospect, Mikel Arteta's (44) outburst was revealed through lip-reading experts.

The UK's 'The Sun' reported on the 28th (Korean time), "A lip-reading expert revealed the harsh words Manager Arteta directed at 16-year-old prospect Max Dowman, who was sent off in the match against Fleetwood Town (fourth division)."

On this day, Arsenal lost to Fleetwood 3-5 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in regular time in the Round of 16 of the 2026~27 season Carabao Cup held at Highbury Stadium in Fleetwood, England, and were eliminated.

Arsenal wavered from the start. An unauthorized drone appeared in the airspace immediately after kickoff, causing an eight-minute suspension of the match. Amid the chaotic atmosphere, Fleetwood, ranked 18th in the fourth division, took the initiative. In the 21st minute of the first half, Aaron Lupalo exploited a mistake by Arsenal's 17-year-old defender Mali Salmon to score the opening goal.

Manager Arteta, who had changed nine players in the starting lineup in preparation for the weekend match against Liverpool, launched a counterattack by bringing on Martin Odegaard and Ben White at the start of the second half. Victor Gyokeres scored an equalizer in the 5th minute of the second half to level the score, but that was as far as it went.

Arsenal collapsed on its own due to Dowman's direct red card in the 40th minute of the second half. After being brought down by a rough tackle from opposing defender Harrison Neal, Dowman got up and kicked out, prompting the referee to immediately show a red card.

Manager Arteta glared fiercely at Dowman as he left the pitch and shouted at him. Citing an analysis by lip-reading expert Nicola Hicking, the media reported that Manager Arteta told Dowman, "Get in the changing room, Max."

Ultimately, Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved Bruno Guimaraes' shot from Arsenal in the penalty shootout, and Fleetwood's Conor Hoque scored the final kick to complete the upset. Fleetwood manager Matt Roller shed tears of emotion, and home fans rushed onto the pitch to celebrate the victory.

Immediately after the match, local experts strongly criticized Manager Arteta's cold attitude toward the young player. Former EPL player Joey McNulty pointed out, "It was not an ordinary reaction. There was underlying anger."

Arsenal legend Paul Merson stated, "If it had been Gyokeres who was sent off, the manager would not have treated him that way," adding, "Dowman is only 16 years old now. I would have hugged him. Manager Arteta would also act differently if he could turn back time."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original