Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has warned 16-year-old Max Dowman to meet the same standards as other first-team players after the teenager was handed a three-match ban for his red card against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.

Dowman was sent off in the 85th minute of Arsenal’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Fleetwood on Tuesday after reacting to a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal.

The youngster’s dismissal came after he had also been sent off while representing England Under-19s earlier this month in a match against the United States.

As reported by BBC Sport, speaking for the first time about the incident on Friday, Arteta revealed that he had warned Dowman before the Fleetwood game about handling provocation.

The Arsenal boss also defended his reaction to the teenager’s dismissal, insisting that their relationship and the conversation they had before the match should be considered.

“You need to understand the context and the relationship that I have with him and what we discussed just before we went out,” Arteta said.

He added that he had spoken with Dowman on Thursday and confirmed that there were “no issues at all” between them.

However, Arteta stressed that the teenager must understand the demands of playing for Arsenal’s first team and be treated fairly alongside his more experienced teammates.

“So, we need to be ready for that. This is the environment and this is the reality, otherwise we are in Disneyland. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League and this level.

“We look after him so much that you cannot imagine.

“But at the same time we are 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 tell me? You need to be fair.”

“We look after him so much that you cannot imagine. But at the same time, we are going to demand from him, like everybody else, because he needs to earn the right to play,” he said.

“Because the other boys, what are they going to tell me? You need to be fair.”

Arteta further emphasised the competitive nature of professional football, warning that players must be prepared to deal with pressure, disappointment and difficult situations.

“This is the environment and this is the reality, otherwise we are in Disneyland. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League and this level,” he said.

The Spaniard also admitted that losing matches brings out strong emotions in him, adding that his players must be prepared for his reaction when results do not go their way.

Meanwhile, Arsenal appealed Dowman’s red card, but the Football Association upheld the original decision, leaving the teenager to serve his three-match suspension.

Arteta expressed disappointment with the outcome of the appeal but suggested that the club was fortunate the youngster escaped a more serious injury.

“I am very disappointed. We are lucky today that he hasn’t had a broken foot,” he said.